One Punch
by OneCreativeIdiot
Summary: An extended alternate ending to "Arthur's Big Hit". When Arthur's sanity is finally lost because of everyone around him, he becomes friends with an older character who decides to make him a boxer. How long will this last until everyone discovers the awful secret?
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm pretty sure that all of you (and I'm mostly talking to all the fans of the show itself) have probably heard of or actually have seen the episode "Arthur's Big Hit". This particular episode is well-known because of what it was meant to teach children- the consequences of using violence against others. I knew how Arthur felt and it was bad to see what happens to him later on. It was then when I thought, what would happen if Arthur went further down the "wrong path"? Well, without further a-do, I present to you my answer to my own question! Enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: All elements of the "Arthur" series are property of Oasis Animation and WGBH-TV.

Violence is one thing that people attempt to avoid as much as possible. However, when the person in particular has been either stressed out, bothered, or harassed by others around them, he or she may be pushed to the brink of insanity and might snap like a twig. The outcome of the person's actions may be punishment or eternal hatred.

There are however a few cases when people become so violent, it attracts the attention of others in a exhilarating motion. Most cases commonly have people becoming the same wrestlers one would see on television- wrestlers who go against each other for the amusement of roaring crowds of millions nationwide. It can happen anywhere at anytime.

The proof of this can most likely come from a familiar person in Elwood City. This person was named Arthur Read. He was only 8-years old at the time the events took place. Arthur was an aardvark who was a friend to everyone in his school and a lovable son to David and Jane Read. Or at least that was until it happened.

Not that long before the first occurrence, Arthur had built a model of the Bell X-1, an aircraft that made history by being the first to break the sound barrier. Everything seemed to be going good for him; the only difficulties he faced stemmed from his sister, Dora Winifred Read, who was four years younger than him. Dora (or D.W. as she preferred to be called) was highly curious about the model from the start and often bothered her brother to see what it was all about. This annoyed Arthur heavily, and he would shoo her away, much to her displeasure.

On a cloudy evening, D.W. snuck into Arthur's room without his permission and played with the model. She had no idea that her actions would cause her brother to commit what he did. Wanting to see if it was true, D.W. threw the model out the open window to see how well it could fly. To her surprise, it plummeted to the ground and broke apart. She then hurried to her brother and informed him that it couldn't fly.

Arthur was equally shocked as he was displeased.

Upon inspection, Arthur was also horrified to see that nothing could be done to rebuild his precious model aircraft. D.W. commenced lecturing him that he built the model wrong. Arthur, clenching his teeth and molding one first, built enough anger that he could not keep within. He stepped forward, growled, "I told you...not...to...TOUCH IT!", and threw a punch at her. His fist collided into her shoulder with a terrific force that sent her to the ground. She then got up and scurried to the house, crying uncontrollably. Arthur nearly fell to his knees to recover the broken model; however, Jane's wrathful call for him shattered his moment of mourning- it was scary for him since she used his middle name.

While David gave immediate treatment to D.W. by means of an ice pack, Jane demanded that Arthur gave an apology to her. He obviously refused and wanted the apology to come from her. But no matter he much he fought, Arthur could not stand a chance against his own parents. He was sentenced to a week without television. The boy felt abomination not just to D.W. but to his mother and father as well.

He didn't even think twice about informing others about the ordeal. The first to learn about it was his best friend, Buster Baxter, who spread the word to their other friends, including Francine Frensky, Muffy Crosswire, and Fern Walters. They all instantly turned against Arthur upon his refusal to admit he was wrong.

With all of the people villainizing him, Arthur did not feel sympathy towards D.W. at all. What he felt instead was hostility and vexation. He desired revenge secretly. But there was one conflict in his book: how to achieve it.

It came sooner than expected.

On the afternoon in question, after school was let out for the day, all of the kids were embarking on their journey home. Arthur strolled down the sidewalk alone. None of the people he knew were around. At the point he was near a familiar spot, an ice cream parlor called "Sugar Bowl", Arthur saw someone he was a friend to. His name was Binky Barnes. He was a bit older and tough built. He also belonged to a gang called the "Tough Customers", who dared him to punch Arthur when he had the chance. This dare originated from their hearing of the incident at the Read household.

Arthur approached Binky without a single worry. Binky faced him feeling afraid. He did not want to attack Arthur after all; but he had been dared to by his friends or so they were called. He wanted to prove he was still strong by his appearance. So while Arthur was chatting with him, Binky molded a fist and struck the boy's shoulder.

Arthur collapsed to the ground in a similar fashion to D.W. and he cried "OW!" Binky on the other hand felt a little confident. He stood up straight and turned around, preparing to walk away. "I...I did it," Binky said.

What he didn't see was Arthur getting back up onto his two feet with a vengeful look on his face. "Oh yeah," he growled in a quiet voice. "You did it alright."

No emotion could replace the rage rapidly building inside him. Of course he was embarrassed, but no one he was familiar with was around him to witness the event. They wouldn't even care if he had been stabbed by a butcher's knife or shot by a revolver. But even if he was wounded by any weapon, that wouldn't have stopped Arthur from running behind Binky, molding a fist, and striking the bulldog from the back of his head.

Binky felt the punch and staggered forward. He turned around and tried to look enraged. Then he threw another punch at Arthur. The aardvark was actually able to dodge the blow before punching the bulldog in the bottom jaw. The fight raged on for an entire minute. Adults gazed on as they wondered what they should do. Should they break it up? Should they inform the police? That was proven unnecessary.

As Binky tightened his hands around Arthur's neck, depriving him of oxygen, a police vehicle arrived and two officers got out. They instantly grabbed Binky's arms and squeezed even tighter than Binky's grip on Arthur. The aardvark was released and, as soon as he was able to breathe again, he ran away. Binky attempted to persuade the officers that it was Arthur who started the brawl, but angry adults told the police that it was he who punched the other first. The officers apprehended Binky, led him to their vehicle, and drove to the police station.

In the meantime, Arthur's legs stopped running as he was halted by an older rabbit. His fur was light gray and he wore a dark red sweat jacket and denim jeans. As Arthur regained his breath, the rabbit talked to him. "That was quite a battle you fought," he commented.

"He's the one who started it," said Arthur.

"I know," replied the rabbit. "I saw the whole thing go down. Is he always like that?"

Arthur shook his head. "He's a nice guy," he stated; "but he would never hurt me."

"That was until now," said the rabbit. "And now he's off to the slammer, just like all the others."

"Others?"

"Yeah, you know, the guys who want to be part of a gang. It's that sort of people."

"How do you know that?"

"My father was one of them. He spent five years behind bars for it, and that was eight years ago."

Arthur didn't know what to say or ask him next. He wasn't even certain if he was able to speak, knowing that Binky's future could be destroyed. But the rabbit said, "Why don't we get going? I had enough of what I've just seen."

Once more, Arthur didn't say anything. He just followed the rabbit down the sidewalk. He didn't even care where this guy where take him; all he cared was that he could probably find somebody who would understand him. Then again, if he explained everything, this person might turn against him just like his friends and family. But at this point, Arthur didn't care anymore.

"So," said the rabbit; "you actually know that guy?"

"Yeah," replied Arthur. "He was one of my friends."

"Do you have a lot of friends like him?"

"I used to have a lot of good people as my friends, but now they all hate me."

"What for?"

Arthur hesitated for a few seconds. This moment came sooner than he had anticipated. Nevertheless, he needed someone different to hear his story. With a deep breath, Arthur told the rabbit his story.

"It all began when I got this model of the Bell X-1," he explained. "But my little sister D.W. thought it was a game that was broken. As always, she often bothered me while I working on the model, and as always, I had to send her out of my room. Plus, I told her a million times that she wasn't allowed to touch it.

"Eventually, I finished the model and went downstairs for a snack. A few minutes later, D.W. came up to me and said that the plane couldn't fly. I went outside and the model was completely destroyed. Then she started going on and on that I built it wrong!"

"Did you teach her a lesson?" the rabbit asked.

This stunned Arthur. There would never come a day when he would imagine that a prediction would come true. "I punched her," Arthur continued. "She ran off crying, and then my parents grounded me."

"Did they?" the rabbit questioned.

"Yes," replied Arthur honestly. "I'm not allowed to watch TV."

"I feel bad for you, my friend," said the rabbit. "People need to stay in their place. And revolting against you is no exception. I say if they want a war, give them a war."

"Isn't that bad?"

"Not in my book."

Arthur seemed to be a bit shocked that this particular rabbit would be like this. He too thought that D.W. deserved the punch that Arthur had given her the same night she broke his model plane. Arthur felt as if this rabbit had something special up his sleeve, yet he couldn't tell what it was.

Without thinking, the aardvark said, "My name's Arthur. What's yours?"

"My real name is Mark," the rabbit replied. "But where I'm from, I'm known as Sharkbite."

"Sharkbite?" inquired Arthur.

"Yeah," said Sharkbite. "Long story short, I was feared back when I was younger for biting others and leaving huge bite marks. I guess you can say that all of the kids starting calling me Sharkbite. I thought about it and I went along with it."

"Okay," replied Arthur. "I see your point."

It wasn't long before Arthur realized that they were walking down the sidewalk of a familiar street. He surveyed the area to his right and up ahead was his house- the house had yellow paint and green roof tiles which he was familiar with.

Sharkbite ceased walking and looked at it. "Is this your place?" he asked.

"How did you know?" Arthur questioned in shock.

"Instincts I guess," said Sharkbite.

The duo strolled up to the door and Sharkbite knocked a few times. A moment later, it opened to reveal Jane. She was a bit stunned to see Sharkbite, but not enough to say she was fully shocked. "Can I help you?" she asked.

Sharkbite turned his head to Arthur. "Is she your mom?" he questioned him.

Arthur nodded.

Sharkbite turned back to Jane and said, "Arthur here got beat up by some punk who was bigger than him."

Jane's eyes grew wide. "What?!" she cried. "Arthur, are you alright?!"

"I'm fine, Mom," Arthur replied calmly.

Sharkbite had the entire situation explained to Jane in no time. Needless to say, she was quite horrified. She thought there would never come a day when her eldest child would be involved in a fight that nearly took his life. Arthur saw the undeniable expression of total guilt on the face of his mother. Somehow it made him feel like cracking a smile. Of course he didn't- who was he to appear as the insane maniac?

After a few minutes of standing outside and talking, Sharkbite said he had to return home. He told Arthur that if they were to meet again, he would give him a "surprise". The aardvark was clueless, but he prevent his feelings from making their presence known. Jane closed the front door and strolled away to the living room. The conversation Arthur could barely hear was the only evidence for him to understand what was going on- Jane was informing David of what she had heard.

Arthur walked into the living room to find out that his theory was correct. Jane had strolled out of the room while David turned his head and attention to his son. "Are you okay, Arthur?" he asked.

"No need to worry, Dad," Arthur replied. "I'm perfectly alright."

"Are you sure?" David inquired. "Do you need me to fetch you an ice pack?"

"Dad, I'm okay," Arthur insisted. He told him: "It was only one punch."

"Good," said David. "But what happened?"

Arthur wasn't that hesitant to tell his father about the clash between him and Binky. However, he wondered what he would say or do if he was to learn that he was involved in a near-fatal fight. After five seconds, Arthur told David: "I was asking my friend Binky a question when he punched me. I fell on the ground and he tried to attack me again; but the police came and arrested him."

David was clearly alarmed by his son's story but, if one were to judge him by his facial expression, he did not seem that emotional about it. Arthur had expected him to question him about Binky's actions; that never happened. David appeared to be pondering about something and Arthur was ready to inquire him. Believing that it could spark any inner madness in his father, the young aardvark instead said, "I'm sure that Binky learned a valuable lesson about this."

With that said, Arthur turned around and started on his journey to his bedroom. He was not more than halfway across the living room when David uttered a sentence that caused his legs to cease walking. That particular sentence was: "And I'm sure that you have learned one, too."

Needless to say, Arthur was mortified by his father's statement. Never before had he heard something that came out of the mouth of one of his parents that inspired outrage within his soul- a soul that was poisoned by betrayal stemming from his family and friends. He was once more consumed by anger and stomped back to his father. David looked away from the television set to see his son approaching him with a face of fury.

Arthur stood by David's right side and stared at him with eyes of anger. "What do you mean by "You're sure that I have learned a lesson, too?"," he growled. "Do you have something against me?"

"Excuse me?" David questioned.

"Don't give me that excuse!" Arthur roared. "I didn't even tell you the worst part about my experience! Binky tried to strangle me! I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for those officers! You and Mom could've seen me in a coffin if no one stepped in to help, and yet you still have the nerve to side with D.W., the true cause of the destruction of my entire life!"

David made an attempt to stop his son from going insane. "Arthur, calm down, please!" he cried.

"No, I will not!" Arthur objected. "Just because of the fact that D.W. is four years younger than I am does not mean you can treat her like royalty! She had to have paid the price for what she did, but did you do anything? No, you just spared her with no punishment or warning! I have to hand it to you and Mom, Dad, both of you truly deserve the Parents of the Year Award!"

The boy thought he had gotten enough weight off of his shoulders and decided that now would be a good time to head upstairs to his refuge of a room. But as he walked away, David, evidently disgusted by his son's attitude, said, "Arthur, that is no way to talk to your father!"

Arthur simply stopped, turned his head towards David, and replied, "And to think that you are even my father." With that cold assertion, the young aardvark pivoted his head forward and strolled out of the room. From behind he could hear his father call out, "Arthur, get back here this minute!"

But Arthur did not reply nor did he acknowledge him. Instead he reached the starting point of the stairs and began to go up step by step. On his way to the second floor, Arthur caught sight of D.W. approaching. Though brother and sister made eye contact, neither of them uttered a single word but rather exchanged dirty glances at one another. But when Arthur was a few steps away from her, D.W. turned around and called out mockingly, "I heard you yelling down there! You can't stop being bad, can't you, Arthur?!"

Once more, Arthur did not say a word- although he had commenced brainstorming on a perfect harsh response for his younger, devil-like sister. The words "devil-like" seem to fit D.W.'s personality according to Arthur; especially when he heard the all-to familiar screaming of the family's youngest child, Kate, who was only a baby. Arthur reveled in the thought that his brat of a sister would get a good scolding out of one of their parents since her booming voice was as audibly as a chorus of electric guitars playing out of tune. Of course he kept it within himself. It would've been more catastrophic if he were to let it out with no logical thought.

Arthur closed his bedroom door and walked to his bed. He laid himself upon it and began to ponder. It wasn't that he was thinking about what to do next in case his father marched up to his room for revenge, or if he came up with his wife (who of course was Arthur's mother) who would be close as back-up for him. That was not what the aardvark was pondering about at all. He was instead wondering about his recent encounter and his possible blossoming friendship with Sharkbite. Nothing about his psychical appearance or attitude was making him question the older boy behind his back. It was rather what he had said to Arthur that made him wonder to himself.

"In case we ever cross paths again, there is a special surprise I would like to give to you. It's nothing bad, but it is something you would enjoy- a lot."

Sharkbite's statement was confusing enough as it was. Arthur didn't to go through all the trouble to deduce what he was actually saying. What he did instead was lie back and did his best to get comfortable in case he fell asleep. That would be good, Arthur though. I need a break after all I've been through today.

After what felt like hours, Arthur closed his eyes and drifted into a soothing slumber. His dreams were of no one's concerns, but a person would suspect that he was dreaming of himself in a world where everything was perfect- everyone admired him and nothing horrid stood in his path. It was a world where practically anyone would wish to exist in. And of course, it only existed in the imagination of every living person on the planet.

Arthur slept on without any disturbances from the outer world. Yet, in his mind, he was still wondering what would happen if he was ever to meet Sharkbite again. Some predictions were cartoonish while others were realistic; but Arthur could not determine an accurate possibility. The only way he could find out the real answer was to come face-to-face with the older rabbit, whenever that event would occur.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, at Lakewood Elementary School, all of the youths who would attend as normal arrived in separate times in the space of ten minutes. Though it was way long before the first class was to start, nobody seemed to care about it- although most children would be annoyed by the fact that they had to wake up at a certain time as always on a school day. Many of the students- ranging from 3rd Graders to 5th Graders -were spending the extra time socializing with their friends. Some were at their lockers while some were in the bathrooms. No matter where they were, there would be a group of kids chatting among themselves about their own concerns and such.

Buster had met up with Francine and Muffy at a less familiar location within one of the many corridors of the school. What the two girls were talking about weren't that important to Buster- most boys didn't care a bit. However, there was something in his mind that was troubling him. It was about Arthur, his best friend, or as the others referred to him as his ex best friend. Buster didn't actually broke off their friendship, it was really on a hiatus. The rabbit was sure they could continue their friendship once the aardvark had apologized to his sister.

Buster was on the brink of becoming one hundred percent bored. He actually felt like going to class early. Both of his legs were ready to be kicked into gear when a bulldog he, Francine, and Muffy were accustomed to came plodding up to them. Just the way his face was molded, the trio could tell he appeared somewhat devastated. Why he looked that way was what tempted Muffy to ask: "Hey, Binky, what's got you down in the dumps today?"

Binky slowly inched his massive head up. It was as if it was attached to a sluggish winch- it seemed to take forever until Binky was able to make eye contact with either Muffy, Francine, or Buster. After a long sigh, he gravely answered, "I got arrested yesterday."

All three of them were appalled. It was quite unimaginable to think that one of the many individuals they knew would one day come forward and inform them that they were incarcerated by police. They simultaneously gasped.

"You actually got arrested?" Buster inquired in disbelief. "How did that happen?"

Once more, Binky sighed before speaking. "I was dared by the Tough Customers to punch Arthur in order to prove I was still strong and worthy of being a Tough Customer," he explained. "I guess it was because they heard of what happened to his sister and wanted to teach him a lesson, and they wanted me to do it for them. So, when I had the chance, I did what I was ordered to do. But as I was walking away, Arthur attacked me from behind. We kept on punching each other until the police came and broke us up. Arthur ran off and I was taken away in handcuffs."

Buster, Francine, and Muffy were in utter shock. It was easy to identify their reactions by the silence that followed Binky's story. None of them could have imagined that a simple family ordeal- one of which had been verbally spread from ear to ear -could turn more sour than it should have been. Worse yet, it could be easily defied as the first sign of future dilemmas and predicaments.

"What happened after that?" Francine inquired.

"The police took me to this place called the detention center," Binky continued; "and I was placed in one of the jail cells until my parents came to bail me out. And then they grounded me for an entire month! And just when I thought things couldn't get worse, Rattles snuck by my house and told me I was no longer a Tough Customer! I'm out of the club and now a nobody!"

Binky appeared to be ready to burst out crying, but he did his best to keep all of his inner emotions within himself. Muffy walked up and patted the bulldog's immense back. "It'll be alright, Binky," she said reassuring him. "You can find another club to be in."

"But it won't be the same!" Binky objected. He swatted her hand away and took a few heavy steps away from the trio. "I was living the good life with the Tough Customers! And now, because of what I've done, I can never get it back!"

"But why would you go and do such a terrible thing like that?" asked Buster.

Binky turned to Buster and replied, "I just wanted to prove to my friends that I was still strong on the outside! What other reason would I do it?"

Buster was about to give his own personal reason when Francine spoke, brushing away his chance. She said, "Because someone actually wanted to teach that Arthur a lesson!"

Muffy nodded in agreement.

"Really?" Binky asked.

"One hundred percent," Francine answered.

Buster didn't believe what he was hearing. What Arthur committed was an act of anger- he couldn't control his actions, as if his common sense was erased because of blind hatred. He of course was outraged when Arthur himself told him what had occurred that one night, but he was not in the position to cut off their friendship. Buster desired to get Arthur to apologize to D.W. in a calm, acceptable fashion. He was yet to achieve the opportunity.

At last, he found words. "Now, wait a minute," said Buster. "Let's just think for a second. True; I am disappointed at Arthur for what he has done, but that doesn't mean we should be using violence against him."

Francine was disgruntled. "Buster, are you literally taking Arthur's side?!" she asked angrily.

"I'm not saying what he did was the right thing to do!" said Buster. "But I think that shunning him out of our lives and blackmailing him is going to make him more aggressive to others!"

"Please!" Francine snorted. "You actually believe that Arthur will become more of a maniac? I don't believe it! There's no way to prove that what you're saying is true!"

"But there is!"

"And what might that be?!"

"To talk to Arthur in person."

"Like that'll work!"

"It will!"

"Says you!"

Muffy pointed down the corridor and said, "Perhaps Buster can prove his point. Here comes Arthur now."

Buster, Francine, and Binky turned to where Muffy was pointing. Appearing from around a bend and strolling towards them was Arthur, wearing his usual yellow sweater with a white shirt underneath and light blue jeans. He also had on his recognizable brown glasses and red-and-white sneakers. Most of his appearance seemed the same. There was one thing about him that could've struck anyone as odd: his facial expression. It was nothing they had ever seen before on the face of Arthur Read- his eyes seemingly focused on nothing at all and his mouth almost appeared to be molded into a flat line. It was as if he had no expression at all.

However, this did not prevent Francine from angrily marching up to Arthur who was still walking. She got up to a safe distance from the aardvark and shouted, "First your sister, and now one of your friends! What is the matter with you?!"

Arthur did not react to the aggravated girl in front of him and continued to amble down the hall. Francine decided to knock some sense of reality into him. She approached him and blocked his path. "Stop right there, Arthur Read!" Francine ordered.

Once again, Arthur had no response physical, emotional, or verbal. He tried to go around Francine but she would not let him pass. It was difficult for Francine to get Arthur's attention with him continuing to walk past her. She was increasingly getting more and more bad-tempered.

At last Arthur finally stopped walking and stared directly at Francine. "Just what gives you the right to act like a monster?!" scowled Francine. "You out to be ashamed of yourself! You just destroyed Binky's friendship!"

Arthur blinked once before starting to walk again. Francine pushed him back. "Don't you dare try to walk away from me!" she threatened. "I bet your parents will think you're just the gigantic jerk you are right now when they hear about this!"

This triggered Arthur to finally give off a response to the individual in front of him. The aardvark marched up to her, grabbed her by the shoulders, and shoved her into the wall on his left. Afterwards, he released Francine- who slid down to a sitting position on the floor -and departed as if nothing had ever happened. Binky, Buster, and Muffy just watched in revelation as the entire short event unfolded.

Francine got up and brushed her shoulders, even though nothing got on them. Her three friends hurried up to her side. "Are you alright?" Muffy asked.

"Didn't you see what he did to me?!" Francine roared. "The way how he grabbed me and threw me against the wall?! That Arthur no longer has any emotions towards us! He just sees us as obstacles!"

Muffy and Binky looked at each other, then back to Francine. As they proceeded to discuss about what to do about Arthur's repugnant behavior, Buster turned away from the trio and watched as his former best friend continued to stroll down the corridor until he vanished behind a corner that took him down another hall. He deeply wished he could've followed him and, once he caught up with him, attempt to reason with him so he could be brought back to reality. Alas, Buster didn't. And the more he thought about things, the more he began to rue at the fact that he had let it slip that Arthur had physically harmed his own sister.

Poor Buster started to imagine what would happen to Arthur if his condition was to grow worse. All he could think of was everyone around him giving him glares that would force him to feel ashamed of himself, not to mention the vile remarks they would scream at him. They were the only two thoughts Buster could muster before the school bell rang. It was now time for class. Francine, Muffy, and Binky began walking away. Buster quickly noticed and hurried alongside them.

Upon arrival to Mr. Ratburn's classroom, the quartet spotted Arthur sitting at his usual desk. His facial expression had changed. Instead of having no mood at all, he looked like he was ready to deal with whatever assignment the teacher had in store for him and the rest of the class. They took their seats as normal and Mr. Ratburn entered the room, greeting his pupils and introducing the day's lesson.

Throughout the entire session, everyone in the classroom kept their mouths closed, their eyes fixed on their teacher, and their eyes wide open so they could take in every word he was saying. Everyone present didn't really care what Mr. Ratburn was going to instruct them about now, but they had no choice but to listen to what he had to educate them about.

It was also during the entire session when, at certain times when they had the chance, Buster would look away from the teacher and glance at Arthur. The aardvark's head and eyes were focused on the teacher and nothing else. The rabbit couldn't be more concerned about his former friend as he began to wonder what Francine, Binky, and Muffy were thinking about how to achieve payback for what Arthur had done. Needless to say, Buster was fearful for Arthur and the urge to keep him safe was starting to grow deep inside him.

Buster's worrying carried on in other classes. The most predominant was gym class where all lessons were performed physically. This would be the perfect breeding ground for planning an act of revenge. Just the possibilities of how the trio would torture Arthur was enough to make Buster sick. Nonetheless, he was able to participate in the day's activity the coach prepared for the class.

The rabbit's anxiety was also at high levels at lunch and recess.

In the massive cafeteria, all of the students were sitting down to eat meals either prepared for them by their parents or prepared by the schools' chefs. Buster sat with Binky, Francine, and Muffy at one of the slender lunch tables. Francine vowed that if Arthur attempted to take a seat with them, they were to compel him to leave. They never got the opportunity, though; Arthur never showed up at all. It was as if he had disappeared into thin air. Only Buster was troubled by the anomaly.

Outside and active in the school's playground, the kids were finally enjoying their day after hours of tough schoolwork. From his position on the jungle gym, Buster could get a whole perspective of the wide area. Francine and Muffy were somewhere he didn't care about, and Binky was somewhere else, most likely grieving the loss of his club membership. He was surveying his surroundings when he finally spotted Arthur. The aardvark once again was displaying signs of abnormal behavior. Instead of interacting with others, he was strolling around the perimeter of the playground with a blank expression on his face and his hands behind his back. Nobody took note of it; no one seemed to pay any mind to Arthur if he was to pass by them. It was like the aardvark was invisible to everyone aside from Buster, Binky, Francine, Muffy, and everyone else who know him by heart.

Buster still desired to get Arthur to snap out of his bizarre and worrying actions. However, the people who he called "friends" were holding him back. He wanted to break off the chain that constrained him and kept him far away from Arthur, and try to convince him to foresee the error in his ways. It would be a grueling task, but Buster was aware that he had to do all he could to bring his best friend back.

The last school bell rang and all of the students were off out the door and on their way home. Buster parted from his other friends and scrambled his way through the rushing crowd during his desperate search for Arthur. Other kids pushed their way into the world outside of the school and the rabbit had a tough time conducting his search. Francine, Muffy, and Binky were not present to prevent him from looking around for the aardvark. Even if they were there with him, he wouldn't care what they would say; Buster wanted to achieve his goal.

What he didn't realize was that Arthur had already exited the building and was now walking down the steps and onto the sidewalk. Despite being alone, Arthur was glad to finally be out of school for the day. He had not taken more than five steps when a familiar voice called out to him. "Arthur!"

Arthur turned to where the shout had originated from. It was not any member of his family who was there. Standing only a few feet away from him was Sharkbite. He appeared to be pleased to see him.

Arthur walked up to Sharkbite and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I might find you here," replied Sharkbite. "I figured if I was to show you what I wanted to show it, I would have to find you first."

"Show me what?" Arthur inquired.

Sharkbite stepped forward and threw his arm around Arthur. "I'll show you," he said, leading him away from the school.

At first, Arthur was a bit afraid of what this older individual had in store for him. He of course knew this character; the only noticeable differences being the time they had known each other and their ages. He also remembered those warnings his parents would give him about interacting with strangers. Arthur was quite certain that adults would warn their children about the dangers from stories they heard based on actually kidnappings. What he wasn't so sure about was any probability of getting himself into major trouble with Sharkbite. The rabbit didn't appear to be a threat in any way possible. But Arthur was still curious about this thing Sharkbite wanted to show him.

Arthur was guided through a part of Elwood City that he was not familiar with. There wasn't a single building that he could recall. It wasn't scary at all; it was just new to him, not to mention an extraordinary alternative compared to the same old sights he had seen for as long as he could remember.

Sharkbite stopped and said, "Alright, this is the place."

Arthur rotated his head to his right. He saw Sharkbite strolling towards a staircase leading down to a door. Looking up, Arthur read the neon sign that displayed the name of the establishment. In bright blue colors, it said in capital letters: "STEEL MUSCLES". Then, Arthur noticed that below it was a medium-size line of text that, in capital letters as well, read: "CENTER FOR BOXING TRAINING".

This puzzled Arthur. Why would Sharkbite lead him to this particular place? As far as he knew, he had nothing to do with "boxing", whatever it meant. When Sharkbite- who was already at the door -turned around, Arthur asked, "Where exactly have you taken me, Sharkbite?"

Sharkbite's smile increased in length. "Come on down," he told him. "You can see it for yourself."

Arthur felt panic course through his veins. Chances that whatever was behind that door was beyond comprehension arose in his mind. Sharkbite seemed to have noticed it because he marched back up the steps and once again threw an arm around Arthur. "Like I once said," he insisted; "it's nothing bad, but you'll like it a lot."

Arthur had no choice but to obey, even though he was not being forced at all. Sharkbite guided him down the steps, opened the metal door, and they both stepped inside. From behind, the door violently slammed shut. Arthur became paranoid one more, but all of that diminished upon surveying his surroundings.

The room they were in was decorated mostly with memorabilia in the form of metals and ribbons, and photos of unknown characters who appeared tougher than anyone could ever imagine. The paint was gray, but not a gloomy gray as Arthur thought it could've been. Also present- not visible but audible -was the heavy metal music playing. The young aardvark often found himself unfamiliar with that certain genre, and his parents absolutely forbidden him to ever listen to any song stemming from it. He thought there must've been something embedded in each song that they didn't want him to hear. That was a plausible explanation and Arthur excepted it.

Sharkbite sauntered up to the front desk where a colossal brown bear was looking down, probably reading some sort of magazine. After the rabbit knocked on the wooden top of the desk, the bear gazed up at him. His face displayed a solemn expression. "What do you want now, Mark?" he growled.

Sharkbite, obviously not shaken by the bear's tone of voice, said, "Let me ask you something, Derek. Remember that story I told you about that kid who fought against a bigger kid and won?"

"Of course," Derek replied.

Pointing his thumb directly at Arthur, Sharkbite told him: "He's right there."

Derek turned away from Sharkbite and looked at Arthur in skepticism. He scrutinized the young aardvark before returning his gaze to the older rabbit. "Really, Mark?" Derek questioned, evidently unconvinced. "You expect me to believe that a kid that small could defeat someone twice his size?"

"It did happen!" Sharkbite roared. "This kid showed that bastard what he had coming!"

Arthur's eyes increased slightly. Did Sharkbite literally just say a profane word? It didn't seem likely; yet it sounded like he actually did. Even if he did, why would he say such a word? He wasn't furious, so he must've used it to make himself hard core. At least that was what Arthur thought about since he had heard such language being said by young adults who got together at random places. It didn't really surprise him that a person like the older rabbit he had befriended would use vulgar words.

Derek continued to doubt Sharkbite's claim that Arthur had taken down a bully. "Do you even think that he is worthy of the training we provide here?" he asked.

"I believe he can pull through!" Sharkbite replied. "Why won't you let him try at least?"

"Since when did I permit him to join?"

"Why are even giving me a hard time? I'm one of the top trainers! And I say if I can handle someone that weighs like 250 pounds, I'm sure I can cope with an 8-year old!"

"You never worked with anybody that weighs that much! You're talking total crap, Mark!"

"Says the guy who sits on his overweight ass and does nothing but read dirty magazines behind our backs!"

A red-faced Derek arose from his office chair and glared at Sharkbite, obviously outraged by his obscene yet creative remark. "IS THAT A CHALLENGE!" he snarled.

Sharkbite was not terrified at all. His retort was: "Do you actually want to be convicted of murder, Derek?"

Derek growled like an aggressive dog as he backed away. "Reality is such a bitch!" he mumbled.

Sharkbite smirked and turned to Arthur. "I'm afraid that Derek here does not believe that you clobbered that jerk who attacked you," he informed his companion. "In my opinion, you will have to explain to him that what I'm saying is true."

"You want me to tell him my story?" Arthur inquired.

"Yep," said Sharkbite.

This made Arthur very nervous. What was he to say? Just the expression on Derek's stone cold face was enough to make him anxious. Nevertheless, Arthur decided that he had to tell his story as well-detailed as he could.

"It started when I got this model," Arthur began. "It was suppose to be-"

"Arthur," Sharkbite interrupted; "people like Derek don't care about backstories. Just get to the point."

At that moment, Arthur was glad he didn't have to go through and recall the tale of how it all started. It was a tremendous relief. "Alright," he said; "if you insist. I was walking down the sidewalk and I saw this kid I knew named Binky. He was very big but he was very friendly. He was also a member of this gang called the Tough Customers. I guess the leader ordered Binky to attack me because, while I was talking to him, he punched me as hard as he could. I'll admit that I was pretty hurt, but I was really angry. So, I punched him back. He got even more mad at me and he got violent. We fought for what felt like hours before the police came and broke us up. I ran away while Binky got arrested. And then I met Sharkbite and here I am now."

Sharkbite was pleased by Arthur's story. Even stubborn Derek was impressed. But as far as both Arthur and Sharkbite knew, it was highly possible that Derek would need more evidence if the young aardvark was to gain full membership of the boxing gym, if it was completely necessary to have a license to practice the sport.

Sharkbite stepped up to Arthur and made a suggestion. "Why don't you show him some of the moves you made to defend yourself during the fight?"

Arthur nodded and Sharkbite took a few steps back. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to physically reenact the brawl he was in just the other day. "From what I can remember," said Arthur; "I punched Binky in the back of the head like this." He gave a quick jab as if there was an invisible individual in front of him. "Then, when he tried to return a punch, I ducked-" Arthur recreated himself dodging the blow from Binky. "-and then I struck his jaw like this!" He performed a perfect uppercut as a form of a counter-punch.

Arthur continued to relate to the constant punches he and Binky threw at one another before he finished with the arrival of the police officers. Sharkbite glanced at Derek who shook his head while smiling. The bear then grabbed a pen, pressed down on the button with his thumb to reveal the tip, and commenced scribbling something on a piece of paper. Derek looked up and said, "If I heard correctly, your name is Arthur?"

"Arthur Read," Arthur replied with a nod.

Derek's head peered back down as he continued to write on the paper. He then faced Sharkbite and asked, "And if I'm more correct, you are to be his trainer?"

"Straight to the end," said Sharkbite.

The scribbling carried on. In no time at all, Derek clicked the pen button and placed it onto his desk. "Well, Mark," he said; "it looks like you once again walk away in victory. You just got yourself a new student under your wing."

Sharkbite grinned. "I guess we can say that," he responded.

Derek rolled his eyes before he sat up in his chair. "Alright, boys;" he began; "here's how things are going to work. Mark, I know that you have been through this many times, but you'll have to sit through it once again."

Sharkbite simply brushed it off. He was way past excited for his accomplishment.

Derek continued with his lecture. "Here at 'Steel Muscles', we urge all trainers and trainees to work their hardest to make themselves the best they can be. Everyone who serves under this gym is encouraged to do what they can to prove themselves strong as they believe in their hearts. At the same time, they must stay in the boundaries of our style of management.

"For instance, all sessions can be a minimium of thirty minutes and a maximum of two hours. Although it sounds limiting or beyond comprehension, but that's how we do things here. Every session day, you both will check in here at the front desk, change clothes, and go into the fitness area where you'll meet. I almost left this important bit out: you are both to come to this place with a spare set of clothing to change into before you enter and after you leave the fitness area. It is also recommended that you bring your own towels in case we have a shortage. Items such as knives, toys, glass, illegal substances, and food are strictly prohibited in the fitness area. Water fountains are located on the east side of the fitness area and restrooms are located on the west side. Any and all equipment that belongs to 'Steel Muscles' are to remain inside the fitness area. If you are caught attempting to sneak any equipment out of the building, you will be fined. Trust me, this state has a heavy fine for theft if you are convicted.

"Lastly, we all expect both of you to be the absolute best you can be. Nobody in the world can be totally perfect, so we do not encourage any form of competition. All we ask is that you do your best and we'll see you as the champions you visualize yourselves in your dreams. That is our goal here at 'Steel Muscles', to make your dreams of being fitness masters come true. Do I need to repeat anything?"

Arthur and Sharkbite shook their heads.

"Okay then," said Derek. "You both are to report here tomorrow before 3:30. I'll see you then."

After they were dismissed, Sharkbite lead Arthur back home- to his street rather. When they approached the street Arthur's house was located, Sharkbite ceased walking. This concerned the aardvark a little; he turned to the rabbit and inquired, "Is something wrong, Sharkbite?"

"No, nothing's wrong, Arthur," Sharkbite insisted. "But I think that I should be heading home now. I'll see you after school, okay?"

"Okay," replied Arthur. "I'll make sure my parents know that I'll be out for a while."

Sharkbite became distressed. "Wait a minute, Arthur!" he said. "I think it would be the best if did not tell you folks that you'll be training."

"Why not?" asked Arthur.

"Because if they find out," said Sharkbite; "they will not allow you to do anything. We both can agree that a few days without T.V. are bad enough, right?"

"You're right."

"Of course I am. Now remember, we'll meet tomorrow after school and go to the boxing gym. We'll do some stuff to improve your skills and we'll see where it takes us."

"Alright."

Sharkbite got up extremely close to Arthur. "But you have to promise me one thing," he told him. "No matter what anybody says or demands, you will not tell another living soul that I am teaching you how to defend yourself! Capiche?"

"Capiche," replied Arthur with a swift nod.

"See you later, pal," was the last thing Sharkbite said before he turned around and strolled away. Arthur watched as he disappeared from eyesight. Afterwards, he too turned around and started his short journey home.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur awoke the next morning feeling like a new aardvark. Usually he would feel refreshed after a good night's sleep, but today, he noticed he had a feeling of exhilaration, as if he had ultimately been reborn during the night while he was fast asleep. This was very peculiar, even for him; but Arthur took a liking to this alternate sensation.

In his blueish gray pajamas, he got out of bed, put his glasses on, and gazed outside. It appeared as if it was to be a splendid day once again. The sun was brightly beaming in a sky whose clouds were nothing more but light streaks. The conditions were nice to perform outdoor activities; unfortunately, Arthur had no free time to do so- he had to go to school and meet up with Sharkbite afterwards. He didn't care at all. What mattered to him was he was going to start a new life with a new best friend.

Arthur walked away from the window and made his way out of his room and to the bathroom. While he brushed his teeth, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. His facial expression had absolutely no emotion built into it- just like the feelings he had during school the previous day. However, Arthur took no notice of how his face was molded and carried on with his morning brushing.

After returning to his room and coming back out a few minutes later dressed in his everyday attire, Arthur strolled down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen where he always ate breakfast. Just like every other morning, he would enjoy a bowl of cereal and perhaps some juice to get the day rolling. As he entered the kitchen, Jane was at the sink washing some dishes, which was unusual considering that it was David who mostly did the dishes. Kate was up in her highchair, cooing and moving her hands and head as she would normally do- it was ordinary for babies to do such things as they were curious and playful. Sitting in one of the chairs was who else but D.W., dining on a bowl of fruit-flavored cereal. Arthur quietly sighed- even though he wanted to sigh louder as recognition that his good mood was already evaporating like liquid to gas -and went to the cupboard to fetch a bowl.

Once he found one, Arthur walked over to the table and placed it in front of one of the chairs. Next he went to a drawer for a spoon. Finally he poured some cereal and milk into the bowl and had a seat. As he took his first bite, D.W. glanced up from her bowl to look at Arthur. "You missed a really good episode of 'Mary Moo Cow', Arthur," she told him as if she was boasting.

Arthur desired to grunt. It was bad enough that he couldn't watch television for a few more days; but the thought of hearing his younger sister brag about how she still had her privileges was just downright disgusting. He rolled his eyes and replied, "I don't care about that now. I have certain matters to attend to."

D.W. smirked. "And what might they be?" she asked; her tone of voice sounded to Arthur like she was going to use them for her own evil deeds.

"That's none of your business," Arthur calmly proclaimed.

"I doubt that," said D.W. without showing irritation. "You're up to something, aren't you?"

Arthur felt the need to raise his voice when he spoke. Because his mother was in the room with them and she always seemed to side with the youngest, he knew that he had to fight against the urge within him. As he grappled against his inner rage, Arthur was able to calmly tell her: "It's nothing you or anybody else should be worried about."

"As if," D.W. replied, clearly aware that her brother was- in her case -ready to shatter like a glass window struck by a baseball. She went on to tell him, "You really think you can get away with everything? Sadly, you can't. No matter what you try do, the only thing that you'll get is-"

"That's enough," said Arthur abruptly. Usually it was Jane who would say something like that. However she was too busy at the sink to speak, which was ridiculous since all she had to do was turn around, speak for a moment, and then carry on with her work. That didn't bother Arthur one bit. He turned to his mother and announced, "Mom, I may be a little late when I come home for some time."

Jane pivoted her head to her son. "What for?" she inquired.

Arthur didn't hesitate to fabricate a lie. He actually thought up of a perfect excuse to convince everyone not to be concerned about him. He told her: "Mr. Haney asked me if I could help out with refurbishing some parts of the school with a group of other kids."

"Why wouldn't he just call me to let me know?" Jane asked.

Once more, Arthur didn't stutter- he also saw this coming and made up another lie while in his room. "He said he was much to busy with all of the problems he was facing at the time to make any phone calls."

To Arthur's satisfaction, Jane bought it. "I guess you can help your principal out if it's that important," she said. "Just don't get hurt or stay out too late, okay?"

"I promise," Arthur replied with a nod.

Arthur ate a few more bites of his milk-soaked cereal before D.W. stared at him in deep suspicion. "You're definitely hiding something," she growled at a volume which only Arthur could hear; "and I'm gonna find out what it is!"

"D.W., it's best if you stay out of this," Arthur advised. "Nobody wants you getting hurt by goofing around in places where you shouldn't be."

This infuriated D.W. greatly. She raised her voice when she next spoke. "I do not goof around!" she objected. "I've never goofed around in my life! You just say that to make yourself better than me! You think you can waltz up to me and start crushing my dreams; well, you can't! I'm going to make sure that you-"

"D.W., that's enough shouting!" Jane roared. "Your brother has something important he has to do and if he needs to do it by himself, then perhaps you shouldn't be making such a fuss over it!"

"BUT, MOM!" D.W. began her objection.

"BUT NOTHING!" Jane yelled. The intensity of her voiced caused D.W. to hide behind her chair. "Now sit down and finish you breakfast! School starts in a few minutes!"

Arthur watched in his own hidden enjoyment as D.W. sat herself back down in her chair and continued eating. Arthur carried on with eating his cereal as well. But as he did so, he could not help but wickedly grin at what had just occurred. She just never seems to learn, he thought.

Once the dishes were placed in the dishwasher, Arthur hurried back up to his room while D.W. remained where she was. It was obvious that she was silently pouting over her mother scolding her, which had put a damper on her possible plot to get her brother in trouble and have more privileges taken away from him. Of course that was what Arthur though she had been planning to do- he had no actual idea what she was up to, nor did he even care. If she was devising some sort of strategy, she would have to plan it precisely- it had to have been real and not something depicted in the cartoons that were shown on television. And who would assist her in constructing and pulling off the plan? Her best friend Emily? Timmy and Tommy Tibble? Her other best friend James? Better yet, what explanation could D.W. give when she was caught? Just the thought of his younger sister's plan backfiring greatly and getting her into hot water was pleasing Arthur. He commenced imagining what the scene would be like. He could just see himself sitting on the staircase listening to the storm in the living room as his mom and dad berated D.W. over what she had done, and D.W.'s piercing squalling was highly audible. The punishments that the 4-year old would be sentenced to would be even more satisfying for Arthur to hear. It would be at that moment when he would believe that karma had done its work, and the ghosts of the model airplane incident had been laid to rest. He could only wish that that day would come.

Arthur zipped up his backpack, strapped it over his shoulders, and raced downstairs. He had spent the time in his room to get himself organized. Mostly, though, he used the spare time he had to ponder about what the future had in store for him. He was well aware that he had to go through numerous portions of training, but he knew that in the end it would all be worth it. Just like Derek had told him and Sharkbite that in order to gain access to the fitness area, an extra pair of clothes was to be required. So, long before he left his room, Arthur made sure that he had a spare shirt and pants stored inside his backpack.

The ride to school was quiet for the most part. Arthur didn't speak a single word to either Jane or D.W. who didn't take note of it. Jane was concentrating on keeping her attention on the road, while D.W. grumpily sat with her arms crossed and her eyes fixed on the floor. Both Arthur and his mother could tell that she was still fuming from the event that occurred in the kitchen. Jane was sure that her bad mood would wear off in a matter of time. She was secretly worried that D.W. may lash out on one of the kids at preschool and possibly hurt someone. A fight was a thing that she and David did not want to learn about. Arthur, on the other hand, thought that if his younger sister was caught starting a brawl and earned herself an extremely harsh lecture and punishment, he would gladly say that they were- in a way -even.

The car stopped in front of Lakewood Elementary School and Arthur hopped out. He entered the building and quickly decided that he was to repeat the actions he committed the other day- meaning he would not communicate with anyone else; even those of a higher superiority. If an adult was to catch him in an area where students were not permitted to be in or he was acting unlike himself, Arthur would make sure that he had a logical excuse to get himself out of trouble before hand. Everything was to be just the way it was the previous day.

Arthur wandered through the school hallways without attracting the attention of teachers or any of his ex-friends. He was acquainted with the fact that none of his peers would desire to chat with him due to his hostile behavior- he didn't mind at all that they all saw him as a wrongdoer since he was due to start boxing training after school. Arthur figured that as long as Sharkbite indoctrinated him well enough, he would be tough and fearless, and not afraid to show anyone who dared step in front of him that he was always ready to brawl with nothing but his bare hands.

When the school bell rang to officially start the day, Arthur made his way to Mr. Ratburn's classroom. Just like all of the other students present, he stayed silent throughout his teacher's lecture about whatever he was discussing with his pupils. Arthur forced himself to stay awake during the teaching session, as well as alert if Mr. Ratburn was to ask him about whatever the class was learning about. For him, it was grueling, but it had to be done.

Gym class and recess were equally pleasurable. Arthur was able to put his body into full use long before he was scheduled to start training. That would be something both Sharkbite and Derek would be pleased to hear about. Everyone was astounded by the aardvark's agility in the game they were playing. Arthur seemingly obtained unimaginable knowledge to detect when a large rubber ball was about to be thrown at him. He managed to dodge a great amount of them until he was finally struck out. The other kids chatted secretly with one another about Arthur, commenting on his skills- it occurred during the game and after the class had ended. Francine did admit that Arthur had suddenly became an expert overnight, but she still looked at him in repugnance for not yet apologizing and admitting he was wrong to punch his sister. Buster, however, still had his wishes to speak to his former best friend again and bring him back to reality. He was never given that chance; he couldn't break away from his friends. His desires were especially strong by observing Arthur on the jungle gym doing pull-ups. Buster could tell that something was up, he just didn't know what it was.

When it was time for everyone to eat lunch, Arthur snuck away with generating a sound and hid in the boy's bathroom nearby. He was well aware that someone might have seen him, but he hardly cared about it just like everything else. In one of the stalls, the aardvark opened his lunchbox and started dining on what had been prepared for him. Arthur knew that in order to be active, he had to have tons of energy- that meant he had to eat something. He remembered that he had some money his parents had given him to buy his own lunch from the cafeteria the previous day. He recalled predicting what would've happened if he had been in the cafeteria, searching for a place to sit and eat. That was the inspiration for him to sneak into the boy's bathroom and await for the period to be over. It was dreadful for him to go without a meal for a short time, but it was worth it keeping himself distanced from everyone else. He believed that no one wanted to be around a person who could become so angry that he would resort to use violence against them. Just the sound of it was enough to make Arthur enraged.

Eventually, the last school bell rang and everyone went on their way home. Arthur dashed out the door along with all of the other kids who were desperate to finally be free for the rest of the day. He easily broke away from the sea of kids and walked on in the direction of where he was most likely to encounter Sharkbite. When he was about a few feet away from the school, the familiar gray-furred rabbit appeared from seemingly out of nowhere. Arthur did not jump in surprise, he had expected this. "What's up, Sharkbite?" he asked.

"Nothin' much, Arthur," replied Sharkbite. "How about you?"

"I did a ton of things to prepare myself for our training," Arthur explained. "I dominated a lot of people during our game of dodge ball, I made sure that I ate something healthy for lunch, and I did pull-ups on the jungle gym."

Sharkbite patted Arthur on his back. "Nice to hear that you're taking your training very seriously," he commented.

"I'm willing to do whatever you say!" Arthur stated with great devotion. "The only thing I'm worried about is losing my energy from just thinking about it!"

"Just relax, kid," said Sharkbite calmly. "We should make it there in a few minutes."

Arthur and Sharkbite continued strolling through Elwood City until they found themselves in the familiar area where "Steel Muscles" was located. Just as they were about to go down the staircase, Sharkbite stopped Arthur by holding his arm out. "You got some clothes, right?" he asked.

"In my backpack," Arthur replied.

"Excellent," said Sharkbite. "Let's do this!"

Arthur and Sharkbite entered the boxing gym looking confident as ever. The noticeable sight of Derek facing away from his desk- who was peering down at something that was interesting him immensely -was the first thing they saw. Sharkbite chuckled and knocked on the wooden top of the desk. "Now don't tell me you got porn back there!" he said.

Derek immediately swung around in his chair to glare at Sharkbite. "If I told you once, Mark, I'll say it again!" he snarled. "I do not bring pornography into the building!"

Sharkbite, who was not fazed by Derek's fierce roar, simply snorted. "Says you."

The enormous bear got out of his chair and stood upright. He looked as if he was willing to tear Sharkbite in half. But when Derek was about to bellow once again, Arthur jumped in. "Sharkbite, don't you think we should be getting on with our training?" he inquired.

"Oh yeah," Sharkbite replied, his head pivoted towards Arthur. "I nearly forgot about that." He turned back to Derek and told him, "We came here like you said, we brought some clothes, now let us in if you please."

Derek lowered himself back into his chair and calmed down. "If you insist, Mark," he said in some sort of murmur. "You know where to take him."

"Right," said Sharkbite. He started walking to a door on the right near the front desk, which was decorated with a poster that appeared as a sign that read in bold capital letters: "STAFF AND MEMBERS ONLY". "Come on, Arthur," he told his friend. "We got a lot of work ahead of us."

Arthur smiled and followed behind his friend and coach through the door. They entered a long, narrow corridor that was dimly lit. Such conditions could stir fear in anyone, but Arthur did not sense it. He figured that since Sharkbite was a regular at the boxing gym, he would be informed if something was wrong. The aardvark kept his cool as the older rabbit guided him to the near end of the hallway. On both sides were door-less entrances that had a sign on each flank. Sharkbite turned to the right and, as he walked in, said, "This is the boy's locker room."

Once again, Arthur followed Sharkbite, this time into the dark room. It wasn't pitch black for long, though. Sharkbite found the light switch and flipped it on. The fluorescent lights flickered to life, revealing the spacious room that the duo were presently in. A long row of lockers and benches occupied the left side while the right side there was two other door-less entryways- one for the bathroom area and the other for the showers. It was highly similar to a locker room seen in a high school, but Arthur was not aware of that since he was only in elementary school. Nevertheless, he was fascinated.

The sounds of a lock being unlatched and some sort of door creaking open broke the silence. Arthur looked to where they came from and saw Sharkbite opening on of the rusty lockers. The rabbit turned to his pal and student. "You better get changed fast so we don't waste time," he advised.

"But where do I put my stuff?" asked Arthur.

"Don't worry about that," replied Sharkbite. "I'll just shove it into my locker. You don't have anything valuable in your backpack, right?"

"I don't think so."

"Well don't worry about that now. Just change into your spare clothes and then we'll be off to the fitness area."

Arthur didn't question Sharkbite and obeyed, taking his backpack into the bathroom area.

A moment later, the aardvark returned dressed in a maroon t-shirt and cobalt blue shorts. The rabbit was also wearing his spare outfit. Unlike Arthur's fitness clothing, Sharkbite was wearing what appeared to be a basketball uniform. "Where did you get that?" inquired a very awestruck Arthur.

"I used to play basketball in middle school," Sharkbite explained. "I was the big star of the game."

"Were you really?"

"Hell yeah! Something like that is what makes me qualified to be a trainer. Now, before we getting rolling, let me take care of your stuff for you."

Arthur complied and handed Sharkbite his backpack. The rabbit was surprisingly careful placing it inside his locker- he did say he would "shove" it into his locker. Sharkbite closed the locker and placed the lock back where it was. Arthur heard the noticeable clock that signaled that the contents inside the locker were now secured. Afterwards, Sharkbite started to walk away. The young aardvark followed the older rabbit out of the locker room, through the corridor, and up a flight of stairs. At the summit was a door that had some sort of sing on it. Arthur could barely make it out in the faint light. He kept climbing up the stairs behind Sharkbite who- once he reached the top -reached for the knob and turned it. Light poured in almost instantly. Arthur had to shield his eyes for a second before he carried on ambling up the stairs after Sharkbite.

Sharkbite had led Arthur to a gigantic room that he thought resembled the school gymnasium. What made it stand out from any place he had ever visited was that the area he and Sharkbite were in was elevated above the main floor, held up by sturdy beams. His surroundings were mostly exercise equipment like treadmills, dumbbells, and scales. Arthur strolled to the railing that was installed to keep people from falling. Just one glance was all it took for the aardvark's eyes to widen and his jaw to drop. Below him was a massive area full of more equipment like suspended punching bags, boxing gloves, and other types of equipment that he wasn't familiar with. But what stood out the most was the square-shaped platform in the near center. It was huge and had firm ropes surrounding the edges of the platform, acting like a barrier. There were also a few miniature step stools by each corner- Arthur guessed it was to help people get in and out of the thing, whatever it was.

Arthur continued to look down at the lower area as Sharkbite appeared by his left side. He smiled greatly. "That's where you'll be in the future," Sharkbite told him. Arthur turned his attention to the rabbit. "I can just see it now," he continued. "You're in the ring, it's the last round. The face of the other wrestler is covered in bruises and blood. He is so weak that he cannot stand against you in another round, but he has no choice. Though he pleads for mercy, you show him no mercy! He falls to the ground and the referee counts to three. He raises your arm and announces you as the winner while the crowd cheers for your victory."

"Will that really be me in the future?" Arthur inquired.

"Only if you believe it in your heart," Sharkbite answered. He stepped away and said, "And in order to get yourself there, you must be strong and confident. We'll start off with lifting weights."

"But what about the actual fighting?" Arthur did not ask him like he first believed he could fight but rather out of his own thought.

"That comes later," replied Sharkbite. "If we skip the strength-building portion, you won't be able to stand against any of your future opponents."

Arthur understood and showed it with a nod. Sharkbite smiled once again and led his pupil to the steel rack where the dumbbells were stored. Each pair was a different size and had a different amount of weight to it. Arthur was told to take a seat on one of the nearby benches. He obeyed and Sharkbite grabbed a pair of small dumbbells. "This should be an easy start for you," he said giving them to Arthur. "They are only five pounds."

It was indeed easy. Arthur was able to hold both weights in his hands without any difficulties. He lifted them up and down gently in the same fashion as a person would pull the whistle to a steam locomotive. Sharkbite was pleased with his student's actions. "You're totally getting the idea," he told him. "Now try lifting the weights by moving only your elbows."

Arthur did just that.

After what felt like a full minute, Sharkbite instructed Arthur to lift the dumbbells in a very active way. He was to first lift with his elbows, then raise his arms up into the air and then bring them back down. The aardvark did not disappoint. He was learning fast.

Sharkbite stepped back to the rack and picked up a duo of dumbbells that were noticeably larger than the five pound dumbbells. He carried them to Arthur and said, "You're doing great, Arthur. Let's boost you up to ten pounds."

Arthur ceased lifting the dumbbells he had to glare at Sharkbite. "Ten pounds?" he asked.

"Yeah," Sharkbite responded. "Five pounds are nothing to comment about. Ten pounds however are seen by many of us as the best way to test out someone's strength." He handed the dumbbells to the aardvark. "Now place those weights on the floor and take these."

Though he desired to object out of slight fear that he would be seen as "weak", Arthur forced himself to grab hold of the ten pound dumbbells. Immediately when Sharkbite released his grip, the weight of the objects in Arthur's hands took effect, causing the young aardvark's arms to drop down. Gravity was pulling him down, but somehow Arthur commenced resisting against it. He used all of the strength within him to pull them up. He was of course making grunting noises to symbolize his struggle, and yet Sharkbite didn't disapprove of it. Instead he started motivating Arthur to keep him from giving up. "Keep going, Arthur!" said Sharkbite encouragingly. "Put those muscles to good use! I have faith in you!"

As Sharkbite continued to give verbal support to Arthur, none of them noticed the door swing open from behind. The aardvark had raised the dumbbells up to his shoulders when a new voice made itself present. "What do we have here?"

The voice was of a male. He must have been well known to Sharkbite because he instantly turned around to whoever spoke. Arthur stopped lifting to catch his breath and look at the person who entered. As it turned out, there were two people who had entered. Standing by the door that had previously been slammed shut was a dog and a rat, both tall and muscular, and way older than Sharkbite. The dog crossed his beefy arms as he strolled up to them. "Since when do we allow little kids to be here?" he asked Sharkbite in the common tone of a school bully. "Don't you know the rules of this place, Fumbine?"

"Hey, Arthur here is not just some ordinary kid!" roared Sharkbite. "He actually fought off this older kid and sent him to the big house!"

The dog and rat snorted in disbelief. "Who are you trying to fool here?" the rat asked as he looked at Arthur. "There's no way in hell that this rug rat could stand a chance against anyone!"

Arthur was insulted and the rage within him grew like a fire blossoming in a newly-lit campfire. "How would you know? You weren't even there!" he snarled.

Neither the dog or rat were visibly surprised by the aardvark's outburst. Instead, the dog stepped forward and growled, "Keep your lid shut, you little shrimp! I ain't in the mood to be teaching anyone manners!"

"Then back off!" yelled Sharkbite.

The dog and rat, who were undoubtedly capable of committing greater harm than Arthur could, walked away from the duo in a huff. Arthur leaned close to Sharkbite and asked in a quiet whisper: "Just who do those guys think they are?"

"Austin Evarun and Kyle Neom, the so-called big shots of this place," Sharkbite explained. "Nine years ago, they both were seen as vulnerable dorks in high school. But after stepping in here for the first time, they got stronger and tougher and they began overpowering those who bullied them. Somehow they escaped the authorities and continued doing what they did. I guess we both can agree that they have gone insane."

Sharkbite then glanced over at Austin and Kyle; Arthur did as well. The menacing duo were chatting among themselves while standing far away from the rabbit and aardvark. It was obvious that they were talking about Arthur's presence in the building. The more he observed them engaging in silent conversation, Arthur could feel more anger build up inside of him. He attempted to control his overpowering sensation, yet it seemed to dominant his mind. Sharkbite noticed his friend's mental battle and got his attention by shaking him by the shoulder. "You okay, Arthur?" he asked.

"Of course I am," Arthur replied; just by the tone of his voice could convince someone that he was having great difficulty keeping his anger under control. "It's just that...that-"

"Those two bastards are pissing you off?" Sharkbite guessed.

Arthur was not shocked by his partner's use of profanity, but he shrugged it off and said, "They sure are!"

His voice was loud enough for Austin and Kyle to hear. The rat, who one could guess was Kyle, spun around to face Arthur and Sharkbite and roared, "WE ARE WHAT?!"

Sharkbite stood up. "You both are pissing Arthur off!" he growled.

"So?" replied the dog who was perhaps Austin.

"So you have no right to boss him around!" Sharkbite snarled.

"We're not bossing anyone around!" Kyle objected. "We're just not comfortable with some little kid running around in this place."

That was just enough to make Arthur completely furious. He stood up from his seat on the bench with the ten pound dumbbells still in his hands and hollered, "Are you saying I'm nothing more but a mindless 8-year old?! You seriously have no idea what I can do! If I am just a kid, would I be able to do this?!"

Arthur grasped the dumbbells tightly and lifted them up to his shoulders. Anyone at that moment could've told him that he was being ridiculous. However, before Austin or Kyle could open their mouths, the aardvark raised the weights into the air above the sides of his head, and kept them there for everyone in the area could see.

Sharkbite grinned at Arthur's success while Austin and Kyle stared in total disbelief. "I'll be damned!" muttered Kyle.

"How is he doing that?!" Austin questioned in awe.

"He's just getting started, my friends," Sharkbite told the two burly men. "The way I see it, Arthur is on the road to a great future! With the right training he is willing to undergo, our youngest member will be a non-stop fighting machine! No matter who dares to challenge him, even if they are tough-built or smart, they will end up on the floor unable to move! That is how I see the future of Elwood City's youngest boxing champion, Arthur Read!"

Austin and Kyle glanced at each other before they looked back at Sharkbite. "You do realize he could get hurt, right?" said Austin.

Sharkbite thought that they were trying to call his bluff- though he was secretly concerned about what would happened if Arthur was to step into the boxing ring for his first brawl. He brushed it off and replied, "So he might get a jab to the cheek once in a while. That doesn't mean he's going to get defeated all the time. And besides, it's not like he's going to break his arm or something. He'll go through the best training I can provide and you'll see how clever a kid like Arthur can be."

The duo were ready to question him some more, but they decided not to. They figured that they would not be able to persuade Sharkbite that a person like Arthur was not worthy of becoming a boxer. Both Austin and Kyle strolled away and each hopped onto a treadmill.

The four individuals remained in the upper fitness area for about an hour. While Austin and Kyle walked on the treadmills at a steady pace, Arthur continued to undergo pre-training with Sharkbite instructing him. During this time, the rabbit and aardvark would chat a little about certain things. While in the midst of one conversation, Arthur had said, "That reminds me of how I got to come here."

Sharkbite had become a bit curious about that remark. "What does that mean?" he inquired.

"I knew my parents would probably get worried about me if I didn't come home after a few hours," Arthur explained; "so I told my mom that I was doing volunteer work for the school so she wouldn't be concerned."

"Did you say anything that involves what we're doing right now?" asked Sharkbite.

"No," Arthur replied honestly. "All I said was Mr. Haney- who is my school's principal -asked me if I and a group of kids could help out with improving our school's look so it doesn't look outdated, and she bought it."

Sharkbite smiled. "The old work excuse works after all, doesn't it, Arthur?" he said.

"I guess so, Sharkbite," replied Arthur with a chuckle.

When it was almost 4:45 PM, Arthur and Sharkbite agreed that it was time to quit for the day and head home. They went back to the boy's locker room to change and then check out at the front desk. Derek watched them exit the building. After the door closed behind the aardvark and rabbit, the bear frowned and shook his head. "That kid is going to get damaged," he muttered to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Buster laid himself onto his mattress and prepared himself for another night's rest. Despite the few alterations that occurred at various times, the day had been usual for him. He had gotten out of bed, went to school, ate three meals, didn't cause trouble, and now he was going back to bed. It was the all-to familiar routine that he found himself doing everyday (except for the weekends where school was out of the question). He had never attempted to break away from the same old daily procedures, he never actually planned to. He was too busy with other things than to be caring about something as regular as an everyday schedule.

There was one thing agitating Buster however, and it wasn't his daily routines. It was Arthur, his ex-best friend. It had only been about three days since everyone he knew turned against the aardvark upon refusing to apologize for using violence against his own sister. Nobody knew the exact reason behind his rebellious attitude, but it only took a day and a half for them all to forget about it and carry on with their normal lives. Everyone figured that karma would catch up to him and give him a nasty reward for his malicious deeds.

The story of Binky popped up in Buster's head as he realized that Arthur's mental health could get worse if something wasn't done to help him in seeing reality once more. Odds were that Arthur would slowly transform into a being who was the complete opposite of who he once was. Visions of fights and police involvement flashed in the rabbit's mind. All were gruesome and dark. There were people running down streets in massive stampedes, some of them were lying on the pavement bruised and bloody, and gunshots were going off one after the other with loud bangs.

Buster visualized himself present at one of the appalling events. He walked throughout the area while police and medical officers passed him in flashes along with a few other people rushing towards any safe place they could find. The bodies of those who weren't luckily laid on the road and sidewalk. A lot- if not all -of the victims had been shot to death, the bullet-hole wounds were giving it away. About half of those killed were drenched in their own blood. Though it was in his own imagination, it made Buster physically sick just picturing it.

As the rabbit continued to imagine the tragedy unfold, he found himself inside a parking garage. Buster surveyed the massive, dark space that was the first floor of the building. A good amount of the lights had been shut off while a few were kept on- they flickered at random moments which gave him a sense of intense fear. The type of fright Buster was experiencing was very similar to how a person would feel when they believe that they were not alone. He indeed thought he was being watched by a dark character in the shadows.

Buster looked around him to see if there was anyone in the parking garage with him. Sure enough, he caught sight of the silhouette. Whoever it was, he or she inched closer to the rabbit. Based on their size, Buster suggested that the character was a kid like him. When the person appeared in the flickering lights, the rabbit nearly suffered a heart attack from the apprehension that had been building up within him that had now morphed into horror.

The person who had stepped out of the darkness was Arthur- at least that's what Buster could tell. He was still wearing the recognizable clothing he would normally wear, along with his shoes and glasses. What made his appearance so striking was that his shirt and pants were torn and stained with different substances- one of which could be classified as blood; the other he could not identify. His shoes were also covered in the same substances. His glasses were still intact, but his face was scratched and bruised with streaks of dry blood near the wounds on his cheeks.

There were no words to describe how scared Buster was. What made him paralyzed with fear was the item Arthur had in his hand- a semi-automatic pistol. It was black and the aardvark held it fiercely, symbolizing that he was lost in blind hatred and was willing to kill anyone who dared to approach him. As if he had his arch-enemy in front of him defenseless and weak, Arthur raised the pistol up to Buster's forehead. The rabbit stumbled back, only to fall onto his rear and stay there. He was so afraid of what was yet to come that he could no longer move after the fall he took.

At the moment when the weapon was aimed perfectly at the rabbit's head, the trigger was pulled. To Buster's surprise and relief, there was only a clicking sound and no bullet penetrating his forehead. Arthur brought the pistol up to his face and quickly examined it, as if he had x-ray vision to see what was wrong inside of it. It had no more bullets- anyone could've guessed that. Letting out the growl of a rabid canine, Arthur threw the gun to the side and began advancing towards Buster. As he approached the rabbit, the aardvark readied himself for his assault on his prey, who was trying to escape but was somehow unable to get back up on his own two feet.

Buster continued to back away from Arthur by crawling on his hands and knees. They were both moving at the same speed, and yet Arthur seemed to be closing in on his former best friend. Buster tried as much as he could to crawl out of the parking garage; at one point, he turned his head to Arthur and cried, "Arthur, it's me! Your best friend, Buster!"

There was no response from the savage Arthur at first. When Buster collided with one of the building's support beams, he laughed villainously and stood in front of his defenseless prey. Tears bled out from Buster's eyes as he pleaded with the aardvark he once remembered as a good friend to leave him be. He said, "Arthur, please don't do this! I'm sorry for what everyone's been doing to you but-"

If Arthur had not grabbed Buster's shirt collar and hoisted him up to his eye level, he would've continued his pleading. The two boys made eye contact. They each saw into the other person's eyes and read their emotions- Buster beheld the rage that had engulfed his once moral friend, and Arthur saw the horror his ex-best friend was experiencing at that very moment. The aardvark grinned sinisterly, his facial expression indicated that he was ready to laugh again.

Arthur did not, though. He instead separated his right hand from Buster's shirt collar, leaving his left hand to continue holding his prey as firm as he could. Buster watched as the hand was slowly molded into a fist. Then, as more tears cascaded down his cheeks, he started hyperventilating at what was to shortly come.

Arthur had not changed his mood or taken his eyes off of Buster. From what Buster could tell, his former pal was completely lost in hate- the result of the indignation from his past. In one final attempt to escape him, the rabbit controlled his breathing and searched for all of the right words he could use for persuasion. Buster was sure he could convince Arthur to release him; but when he saw that there was still no alteration- either physical, mental, or emotional -in Arthur at all, he knew that he was doomed.

At the exact moment Arthur's fist could've struck him in the nose, Buster finally snapped out of his visual nightmare with a loud gasp. While he regained his normal breathing, the rabbit glanced around the familiar area that was his own bedroom. He greatly desired to seek comfort from his mother Bitzi; to Buster, that would soon lead up to the adults' involvement in the situation he and his friends were facing. In his opinion, what his mother would do would be very identical to how any other parent would handle any other dilemma: they would discuss the problem at hand and come up with a solution, which they would act out immediately. But Buster knew right away that this problem would spark outrage among the adults, and as a result, they would call the police and get in contact with every psychologist for miles around. A strong reaction such as that would soon spread to the kids at school and then Arthur would fully become a pariah to everyone.

Buster did the best he could to erase all of the negative thoughts about the possible future for the young aardvark who was once everyone's best friend out of his head. Practically every single prediction for what could eventually happen to Arthur still lingered in the rabbit's intellect- even after he was certain he had ridden himself from it all after a few short minutes. As a result, Buster was left to suffer with every horrible conclusion that his brain could imagine for the rest of the night.

When morning finally arrived, the poor rabbit was completely exhausted. He was able to get perhaps three and a half hours of sleep, but that still wasn't enough to shake off the bad feelings and thoughts about Arthur or energize him for the day at school. But with the energy he still had inside him, Buster got out of bed, dressed himself, and walked to the kitchen where his mother was making breakfast.

Bitzi instantly noticed the weariness in her son as he sat down at the kitchen table. "Are you alright, Buster?" she inquired.

"Yeah, mom," Buster yawned. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure of it."

Bitzi placed a hand on Buster's forehead to check his temperature. "You're not sick or anything, right?" she asked.

"No, I'm not," replied Buster who was becoming agitated by his mother's worrying. He knew things like these would happen- especially since his parents were divorced and he rarely seen his father, so much in fact that he hardly remembered him. "It was just a nightmare, that's all," Buster then added. "Nothing to worry about."

"Okay," said Bitzi as she returned to her cooking. "But remember, if you ever need to tell me something, let me know."

"I will, mom," Buster responded.

As Buster ate his morning meal, the awful thoughts that bloomed from the night before returned to torture his mind. Those familiar, horrible predictions about the future of Arthur Read were swirling around his head at the speed of a swarm of angry bees. The dreadful forecast of what was yet to come for his ex-best friend continuously tormented him; the grisly thoughts actually acted like enraged bees to Buster, their invisible stingers puncturing his skin and injecting fear-inducing venom into his veins. He truly desired to inform Bitzi about what was going on with Arthur, and yet the reaction of everyone else besides his good friends was enough to persuade him to keep quiet.

After cleaning up, Buster collected his backpack from his room and set off for school. Bitzi saw him off. Earlier, she had asked her son again if he was sick or not and if he wanted to stay home for extra bed rest. Although he was what others would refer to as "lazy", Buster refused and stated that he would be alright going to school.

During his journey to Lakewood Elementary School, the rabbit attempted unceasingly to push all of the horrible predictions far away from him. That was the last thing he needed- spending almost half of the day being haunted by the repulsive thoughts while learning about history and mathematics. At the same time, he continued to ponder why no one else but him was concerned about Arthur. Had everyone at school accept that Arthur Read was nothing more but a felon? Buster was not hoping, he was praying that it wasn't fact. If it was, how would he get others to assist him in helping their fallen friend, who was slowly being devoured by the vile notion of using violence to solve all of life's problems.

"Someone has to help him," Buster said to himself. "I must get everyone to open their eyes and give Arthur their word to help him see the light he has gone blind to!"

Buster picked up his pace and raced to school.

By the time he had finally arrived, it was twenty minutes until the first class of the day was to begin. That was just enough time to search for his friends and convince them as much as he could to lend a hand in aiding Arthur's mentality to its original state. At a great speed, Buster rushed throughout the hallways of the building in his search for everyone he knew and had known Arthur since the start. The aardvark was nowhere to be found, but searching for him was not part of the plan until the near end.

The first familiar face Buster was able to find was Binky, the former Tough Customer and second victim of Arthur's destructive rage. At the current moment, the bulldog was getting a drink from one of the school's water fountains. Buster wasn't sure what his feelings were; they didn't matter though, the rabbit had more important things to worry about.

"Hey, Buster," said Binky. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much, Binky," Buster replied. "But, I was wondering...you know."

"I know what?" Binky inquired; he wasn't gaining curiosity at a fast rate, but rather at a steady rate.

Buster slightly hesitated before speaking again. "Oh, you know," he said. "Arthur."

"What about Arthur?" Binky asked, sounding like he was losing interest.

Buster quickly decided to let it all loose. "I think that Arthur is starting to go crazy," he told the bulldog.

Binky crossed his arms. "So?" he grumbled with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm talking about the idea of about all of us turning against him," Buster explained. "Since we have our backs turned away from him, Arthur is getting more angrier, and that means he'll get more violent."

There was no point in judging Binky's mood, he was clearly not buying what Buster was saying. "Uh huh," Binky said. "What else don't I know?"

Buster was losing patience. "Are you seriously gonna let him suffer like that?!" he roared.

"After what he did, he deserves it!" Binky stated.

"And after he injures a whole bunch of people and gets arrested, you still won't care?!"

"You bet I won't!"

Buster snarled like a lion ready to kill; "You are being totally absentminded, Binky! I'm worried sick about what might happen to him in the future! But the fact that you can is completely awful! How can you live with yourself?"

Binky's blood started to boil like water. "I'll make you pay for saying that!" he hollered as he advanced towards Buster.

Just like in his nightmare, Buster has stumbled and fallen onto his rear while attempting to escape Binky. The enormous bulldog was a few seconds away from delivering blow after blow to the rabbit below him. However, just before he could unleash his fury, Binky suddenly had a change of emotion. Buster watched as the former tough guy slumped to the floor and began to sob. As he crawled over to his friend's side, the bulldog used his arms as a shield to hide his tear-stricken face. His cries were audible, and Buster once again sensed the dreadful predictions that were yet to come if Arthur was not given the help he desperately needed.

From down the hall, Francine and Muffy noticed right away of what was occurring a few feet ahead of them. They walked over and Muffy asked, "What wrong with Binky?"

"I was talking to him about Arthur," Buster explained; "and then we got into a little argument and he wanted to punch me, and then he back off all of a sudden, and here we are now."

Francine and Muffy looked at each other for a moment, and then turned their attention back to Buster. "Why would Binky punch anybody?" Francine questioned; and then she added in a slightly irritated tone, "He's not angry like some other people are."

"Like I said," said Buster; "I was talking to him about Arthur and his-"

Muffy cut him off, "Why are you still going on about Arthur? No one should be worried about him!"

"Oh, so you're all against him, huh? Is that it?"

Both Muffy and Francine replied "Yes."

Outrage continued to fill Buster's brain as if someone was pouring it out of a container. He just couldn't believe it- what Arthur did was of course wrong but it was something done out of anger; it was a simple dilemma that could be resolved, but did anybody help him? No, everyone just shunned him for it. And then Binky came along and punched the "enemy" and that led to him getting beat up and arrested. It seemed that everyone around him- not just Binky, Francine, Muffy, and Fern -had just pushed Arthur out of their lives, and Buster was completely disgusted by their actions against the ex-benevolent aardvark.

Buster felt his growing vexation give birth to words that traveled from his mind to his mouth. He yelled, "Arthur is in danger of becoming a monster, and yet you guys don't even stop to think about his future?! Come on, get real!"

Francine and Muffy were, without a doubt, increasingly confused and angry at Buster for his opinion, and anger was taking the lead in the race. "Don't you dare side with that bully!" Francine warned Buster.

"It's bad enough that he deliberately hit his baby sister," Muffy added; "but the last thing we need is for you to still be his friend!"

"It's not that I'm still his best friend!" Buster argued; he felt as though he would erupt like a volcano from all of the rage inside him. "I'm just incredibly worried about what's going to happen to him if he becomes fully insane."

"So?" Francine snorted.

Once again, Buster felt his temper rise. In another moment, if Francine or Muffy started speaking their objections, the rabbit would've exploded and pounce onto his three companions like some deranged beast. He would obviously be outcasted like Arthur in no time if he was to surrender to his inner demons. But how could he not desire to unleash his rage upon others? They were all giving Arthur the cold shoulder and everyone was oblivious to the fact that his behavior would aggravate and transform into someone no one would ever want to be around.

Buster calmed down a tiny bit and growled, "You guys have no sympathy for the person who was once our friend. He was everyone's best friend; but do you ever stop to think about helping him? No, you don't; you just don't care!" He turned away from them sharply. "I was hoping to finally knock some sense into your heads so you can help me with Arthur, but you simply reject it as soon as I bring it up! But it's fine. I'll do everything myself!"

Buster began to stroll down the corridor away from his friends, if that's what he could still call them. As he walked (or rather stomped) down the hall, Francine called back, "Buster, if you even attempt to take one-"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY! I'M GONNA DO IT!"

The rabbit's roar was that of great passion. It was not pure fury and outrage that gave his cry its flavor, it was the disapproval on behalf of his empathy. The fact that he was the only kid in school- perhaps the only person in Elwood City -who was concerned about the mental health of Arthur Read could be regarded by the other kids as "stupid" because, from what they had heard, the aardvark had committed an unforgivable act. Buster didn't want this to carry on forever for what could happen if Arthur becomes more brutal. What would exactly happen though? He wasn't so sure, and pondering about it was awful, so he brushed it all aside.

Eventually, the school bell rang and everyone headed to their classes to begin the next seven-to-eight hours learning about events in history or whatever their teachers planned for the day.

Buster entered Mr. Ratburn's classroom with a few other students he knew. Sitting in his chair at his desk was an inexpressive Arthur. Even though his face was blank and clearly devote of any emotions, he appeared to be ready for what the day's topics were. Buster wanted to dash over and try to talk to him, but then Binky, Francine, Muffy, and Mr. Ratburn walked in. He had no choice but to go to his desk.

During Mr. Ratburn's lesson, Buster was struggling to pay attention to his teacher. It was beyond grueling not by the drowsiness returning to him, but by the concoction of emotions that was still fresh within his soul. The bad thoughts were clinging onto him, giving off an itching sensation as if it was a rare allergic reaction. He suddenly felt as though he was running low on oxygen. Not wanting to draw the attention of everyone else, which would lead to a full class disturbance, Buster tried to breathe as calm as he possibly could.

It took about three minutes until the rabbit was able to breathe in and out comfortably. When that moment came, he was already in the thinking process of pondering what he could say to Arthur. He didn't care if he would disturb anyone around him, all he wanted was to get his best friend to foresee the error in his ways and start the rehabilitation he desperately needed.

The distance between Buster and Arthur was not vast so there wouldn't be any difficulty for either one of them to interact. Arthur was silent, looking at the teacher and the chalkboard while the lesson was being taught to the class. Buster was no longer paying attention to Mr. Ratburn, he was staring at Arthur timidly. He would often glance at the teacher for a few seconds- ten seconds at the most -before returning his gaze to the aardvark.

At last, Buster could not hold his urges for another moment. His brain was already mustering words for sentences for him to say directly to Arthur. His voice box was about to operate and Buster tried to keep his voice volume as low as possible. "Psst. Arthur," he whispered to the aardvark nearby.

There was no response from Arthur- not even a reaction. It was as if he didn't hear him like his ear drums had been turned off. Though he did not reply to Buster trying to communicate with him, it was plain to see that Arthur was keeping his eyes on Mr. Ratburn. Whenever the teacher moved from one side of the chalkboard to the next, the aardvark's eyes and head pivoted so he could continue focusing on the day's lesson.

Once again, Buster attempted to get Arthur's attention. "Hey, Arthur," he whispered, this time a little bit louder.

Much like before, there was no success. If Arthur was trying his best to ignore him, he was doing a very good job at it.

Buster was losing patience with his ex-best friend's behavior. Obviously Arthur did not want to be talking with anyone he knew that had turned their backs on him, and a person who can understand someone's emotional struggles could comprehend it.

After a quick mental debate, Buster decided on using his next tactic to get the attention of Arthur. He reached out and started tapping the aardvark's shoulder rapidly while whispering in a much louder, audible volume, "Arthur. Hey, Arthur."

"Mr. Baxter," came Mr. Ratburn's voice from the front of the classroom.

Buster jumped when he heard the teacher speak. Instead of completely falling out of his chair like done in comedy skits, the rabbit got back in the normal sitting position and faced Mr. Ratburn. He was staring at him along with a few other students- among them were Francine and Muffy, giving him looks of utter disgust.

Mr. Ratburn began speaking again; "May I ask what you're doing?"

"I...uh," Buster stammered, searching desperately for the correct words. "I was just asking Arthur a question about...um...last night's homework assignment."

"Well your question can be answered when we get to that point," replied Mr. Ratburn. "But for now, please pay attention to today's lesson."

Buster nodded in agreement and the lesson resumed.

It was a relief that Mr. Ratburn actually believed in a hastily made lie. That didn't matter, though; at this point, he didn't care if trouble awaited him- he just wanted (needed was the better word) the old Arthur back. A week without television was an appropriate punishment, but being forced to become an outcast was not exceptional, and the recent brawl between Arthur and Binky was the reason why. Buster did check his surroundings to see if anyone was still looking at him. No one was, but for a brief moment, Francine did make eye contact with Buster, giving him a furious glare. This made Buster gulp and turn his head away from her.

He then turned to see if Arthur had responded at all. From what Buster or anyone could tell, the aardvark had remained still as a statue and silent as the night. How it was possible for him to do so was an entire mystery to the rabbit. That mystery swiftly morphed into a puzzle he could solve once he would be able to speak with Arthur again. It was an opportunity that was yet to come; the teaching session was still in progress.

Buster found out later on that getting Arthur to utter even a single syllable would be a much more difficult task than he first conjectured.

Throughout the next few classes, Buster would make various attempts to communicate with Arthur. He would first start with whispers, then with taps to the shoulder, and, if the first two tactics didn't work, he would think up of any other method to get Arthur to look at him so he would have a chance to speak to him. Every attempt he made failed.

Gym class, recess, and lunch were clearly different from the other classes because of their advantages. Buster knew that these sessions would be perfect, his plan would fit in with one of them.

Unfortunately, all three sessions turned out to be as much as a disappointment as the rest of the normal school classes.

In Gym class, the class was to play the same game they played the other day. Everyone decided to still have players they had on their teams while having new ones on their side. Buster was hoping that Arthur would be on his team, but, alas, he chose to be on the opposite team. And just like the previous day's match, Arthur was able to dodge every foam ball that was fired at him.

When recess came along, Arthur was again seen walking around the playground at a tranquil pace. Buster observed his former comrade leisurely stroll on the invisible path he was now accustomed to. To the observing rabbit, it was like the aardvark was walking along the boundaries of the playground, a world where he no longer existed in- that was ridiculous of course since Arthur was once seen doing pull-ups on the equipment. Buster actually attempted to get Arthur to stop walking and talk to him, but it was no use.

At lunch, Buster mustered up the remaining amount of courage and hope he had and sat at the empty table where Arthur was sitting. Earlier, Francine and Muffy had warned Buster that if he dared to defy them, he would soon regret it. He didn't take note of their threat and made his way to Arthur's table. The only sounds that came from the aardvark were the familiar sounds of any other person eating. Buster continued to plead with the boy to say something. No matter what, Arthur did not emit anything that sounded like a syllable or a word.

Buster was slowly losing hope. Arthur's refusal to communicate or interact was both irritating and agitating. Someone could call the aardvark "stubborn" based on certain unjustified facts. But if a person was to gather more information on what had been going on in the world of Arthur Read, their feelings of anger and shock would be replaced with empathy, and maybe someone would help him.

For now, though, the mission of breaking the icy, impenetrable shell around Arthur was solely being carried out by Buster Baxter, the only kid who was aware that there was a way to prevent evil from fully taking control of the aardvark who was once everyone's greatest companion. Despite the fact that practically every attempt he endeavored flunked with the same level of disappointment, Buster was determined to keep trying. And with the final half hour of school approaching, he had one final chance.

Surely enough, the last school classes finished up early and all of the students were eager to be going home. When the final school bell rang, every 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grader in the building, as well as a few teachers, hurried out of the classrooms and into the flooded hallways. Buster dashed out of his last class and joined the hundreds of other kids on their way out of school. Unlike the majority of those departing for home, he had a distinct reason for rushing down the corridors like many of the kids- he was on the lookout for Arthur, so he could finally bring him somewhere where they could converse in private.

After the ongoing shoving and changes of direction, Buster spotted Arthur only a few feet away from him. All that had to be done now was catch up to him and pull him to the side once they were out of the building. He picked up his pace, although it was quite difficult due to the stampede of kids around him. It took a few moments, but the rabbit eventually caught up with the aardvark, who was sauntering his way down the main corridor which led to the main exit.

Buster took a moment to catch his breath and, when he did, said to Arthur: "Arthur, we have to talk. It's urgent!"

Arthur still gave no verbal or physical response; this did not weaken Buster's ambitions to release his now-immoral friend from the clutches of pure sin originating from his transgressions. "Arthur, please!" Buster pleaded. "Just listen to me! That's all I'm asking! I will not-"

Buster's supplication was cut short as someone grabbed his backpack and dragged him away. He turned his head and was immediately staring into the enraged eyes of Francine Frensky. The orangutan hauled the rabbit in the opposite direction of the leaving crowd of children. As he was being dragged, Buster watched as Arthur made his way through the doors and vanished from sight among the departing kids.

Francine released Buster and snarled, "You really know how to push my buttons, don't you?!"

Buster spun around until he was facing Francine. Behind her was Muffy, Fern, and Binky- all of them had angry expressions plastered on their faces. They were obviously furious about him not listening to them to stay away from the enemy. Anyone Buster's age would've been scared out of their wits, however Buster didn't allow fear to get a hold of him and he quickly summoned up all of the courage he had left.

Francine began to speak once more. "Have you completely lost it?!" she barked. "You know all too well that what you're doing is wrong, and you shouldn't talk to Arthur until he apologizes to his sister!"

"But," Buster stammered, trying to reason with the girl. "But, Francine, it...it's not-"

"It's not what?!" Muffy growled. "What are you trying to prove? That Arthur is not the one at fault? Are you playing games with us?!"

"I'm not playing games, you guys," said Buster with honesty drowning in slight fear. "You all have to-"

"You have no right to be around that villain!" roared Fern.

Buster felt vexation return to him and he wrestled with his inner emotions. "Would one of you please listen to me?!" he hollered. "This isn't how things should end! It's only going to get worse!"

"What a joke!" said Binky. "Who in their right mind would go out of his way to waste his time? You ought to be carrying on with your life- without people like Arthur!"

"So I should be keeping my distance away from you?!" Buster roared, pointing a finger at the quartet in front of him. "If so, I'd gladly take the offer!"

Francine stepped forward to intimidate Buster. "You are blind to the truth, Buster!" she yelled.

"NO!" Buster screamed in full fury. "YOU ALL ARE BLIND TO THE TRUTH!"

After that, Buster turned around and ran out of the building and away from the group of people he had dared to once call his friends. Shocked as they were, all four kids were immensely infuriated by the rabbit's nerve to defy them. Silence had its grip over them as they strolled through the doors and into the world around them.

As soon as the school doors closed behind them, Muffy broke the silence. "I can't believe it!" she said, beginning her rant. "First, Arthur hits his little sister and makes her cry. Then, he goes right ahead and beats up Binky. And now, Buster is losing his marbles over the situation! What is this world coming to?!"

"I don't understand it, either," said Binky. "Because of him, I'm no longer a Tough Customer!"

Though he had said that over and over again from time to time, Binky's complaint was accepted in their side of the argument.

Francine, shaking her head calmly, mumbled, "If Buster doesn't want to be a good friend to us, that's fine by me!"

If Buster did hear what Francine had just said, he probably wouldn't even care. He was too busy thinking about any other possible strategy to persuade Arthur to realize what he did was wrong and that there was still a better solution for him than beating up others. Until the moment came when he would finally get Arthur to start talking again, Buster would not give up no matter what other would say or do. He was that devoted to the mission at hand.

"I know Arthur still has a chance to see the light again," Buster said as he walked to his apartment. "If I have to lose every other friend I have in the process, well...they don't matter to me anymore! All I need is old Arthur back, and no one who stands in my way is going to tell me otherwise!"


	5. Chapter 5

Arthur opened the front door to his house and walked inside; he then grabbed the doorknob and pulled it towards him, closing to the door. After another training session with Sharkbite, he was ready to head up to his room and relax. There was a slight pain in his arms, but he knew- Sharkbite had explained it to him before -that it was nothing more than his muscles adapting to the constant exercise he was going through. That was a big relief for Arthur, he actually thought that it was something more critical; and if it really was then his parents would later find out about his boxing lessons and he would receive an even harsher punishment than the one he had now.

Arthur walked to the stairs and was about to take the first step up when D.W.'s voice called out to him from the living room. "Hey, Arthur, Mary Moo Cow's on!"

"D.W., I don't care!" Arthur replied; he didn't yell and but he said it in a loud voice.

Arthur climbed the first two steps before D.W. shouted, "Don't make excuses! Come on, let's watch the show together!"

"Never in a million years, D.W.!" Arthur roared. "Besides, I know you're just saying that to get me into trouble!"

"I am not!" D.W. protested. "I just want us to spend quality time together!"

Arthur could feel his heart pounding furiously against his chest. It was the rage that was returning and filling his subconscious, telling him to use his boxing skills to threaten D.W. never to infuriate him ever again- he had the model airplane calamity and his fight with Binky to use as defense. At that point, he didn't care if he hit D.W. a second time. He didn't even care if she went to their parents and told them that he had attacked her again. Arthur was aware that his mother and father would be enraged with him, but he figured he could use his abilities to straighten them out the best he could.

Reality stepped in and Arthur began to visualize what harrowing future might be in store for him if he used violent force against his parents. He feared that if he might accidentally say that an older kid was giving him boxing lessons and they would overreact and possible give him a punishment that would last for months- it was in his own imagination, but it did seem it could happen in real life.

Knowing that only proper intelligence would get him out of trouble for now, Arthur lowered his voice and told his sister, "Look, it's been a long day for me. Right after school, I had to help out with my principal with his important project. I'm exhausted, I'm sweaty, and I'm going upstairs to take a shower and relax."

Arthur started walking up the stairs, but D.W.'s voice made him stop once more. This time, the four-year old said in a quiet but audible tone: "Good; maybe you'll smell better."

It was a typical retort any little kid would say; still though, it made Arthur growl loudly. It was times like these when he wondered why he had to put up with his nettlesome sister- she was so annoying, she was incredibly bothersome, and she was always the center of attention when it came to certain occasions, and that irritated Arthur to his very soul. He just couldn't understand why D.W. was so special- sure, most if not all children are adorable at a very young age but that didn't mean that they had to be spoiled. That's what he heard from a lot of adults: children who are always spared of punishment end up believing they can get away with everything. This caused Arthur to wonder what would happen to D.W. in her later years when she would end up in trouble with other authority figures such as the police.

Arthur soon entered his bedroom. He took off his backpack and threw it onto his bed, landing with a noticeable bounce, causing the mattress to wiggle like gelatin. He let out a long sigh that symbolized his exhaustion not from manual labor but from his day's boxing lesson. Just like the past few days, he was lifting dumbbells with the weight slowly increasing. When he lifted the last pair, however, Sharkbite announced that they were moving on to the next lesson, which were the punching bags. Needless to say, Arthur had a blast. Whether it was the simple speed bag or the tougher heavy bag, the young aardvark put all of his strength into his training.

While he did have fun and all, the majority of the training session was filled with Austin and Kyle's endless heckling. Everytime the older rat and dog would throw ridiculous insults at him, ranging from common retorts to nasty jeers, it would add more anger into Arthur's thoughts. As bizarre as it may sound, this actually fueled him, making him throw harder punches into the punching bags. Sharkbite, as well as Austin and Kyle when they noticed, were astounded by the aardvark's sudden energy boost, as if it was something out of a video game. Instead of the three older gym members demanding Arthur to stop, they just watched in amusement and, when the 8-year old eventually ran out of breath, Sharkbite praised Arthur for his outstanding performance while Austin and Kyle smiled and nodded.

Arthur removed his shoes and placed them close together near his rabbit slippers. As he slid his left shoe into place by his right shoe, there came a small bark followed by gentle footsteps. Arthur knew that they weren't made by any of his family members unless it was Pal. He was not an infant like Kate; he was a little dog of gold fur with a playful smile. Arthur had earned Pal long ago when he started a small pet care business to prove to his parents that he was responsible enough to own a dog. He wouldn't say that the entire thing was a disaster, he would refer to it as a "reality experience".

Pal, while he was an adorable animal by sight, was quite a handful for the first few weeks. Every annoyance associated with owning a pet, most notably the chewing on objects and the unwanted "surprises" on the floor or carpet, was present. All of the problems were eventually solved and Pal was shaped into a much better dog. He still had the ecstatic attitude of the common puppy, which everyone would define as "goofy behavior", but Arthur couldn't care less about that- he felt proud and privileged to have a pet of his own.

Arthur reached down and patted the head of his tiny dog. "You still like me, don't you, Pal?" he asked. "No matter what I do, you'll still be a good friend to me?"

Pal didn't reply with words- obviously since he was a dog -but he licked Arthur's hand and looked up at him with the selfsame smile he always had.

Arthur smiled as he felt a warm sensation in his heart. It was comforting to know that even though everyone- mostly family members and close friends -had distanced themselves from him because of his grisly act of violence, he still had someone he knew close as a friend. The only friend he had now was Sharkbite, his boxing instructor. It was odd that he was sharing a companionship with a kid who was way older than he was, but Arthur wasn't interesting in debating if it was a good idea to be with him; all that mattered now was that he was starting something new- something that would hopefully give him a new purpose in life rather than being an outcast.

Arthur went to his closet and got out a fresh set of clothes. He carried them to the bathroom so he could change and have a shower.

As an endless jet of hot water sprayed out of the shower head, the aardvark felt the cloud of anger diminish as he cleaned himself, making sure that he wouldn't stink from the sweat caused by the tough boxing session he endured. D.W.'s absurd retorts and evident attempts to get him in more trouble for violating his punishment were completely infuriating. He just never understood why she had to have such an atrocious disposition. He didn't understand how anyone could put up with her either, even their parents.

Arthur shook his head to get both the unwanted thoughts out of his head and the water and shampoo out of his eyes. That didn't work so he rubbed it away from his eyes with his fingers. The thoughts of D.W. being an unruly miscreant were gone, and for Arthur that was good enough.

Arthur turned around and reached for the water valve, turned it sharply in one direction, and shut the water off. He then stepped out of the shower and grabbed the tower to dry himself. Once his body was free of any unneeded water, the aardvark put on his clean clothes and walked out of the bathroom, leaving the door open so the heat would escape.

For the next two hours, Arthur remained in his bedroom with the door closed. He felt more relaxed being separated from the world around him. Of course it was a horrible thought to be isolated from friends and family, but because of how they all regarded him now, it was fine with the aardvark to seclude himself from everyone else.

Since he was forbidden to watch anything on TV until his punishment was over, Arthur kept himself occupied with his collection of comic books and the grueling homework assignment Mr. Ratburn gave him.

When Arthur was about to begin reading his third comic book, he heard his father call out, "Arthur, D.W., dinner's ready!"

Arthur put the comic book down and walked out of his room. D.W. was ahead of him, so he slowed down to keep his distance from her. The last thing he wanted was to be involved in another verbal war with his irritating little sister. She didn't turn around to confront him so there was no point in preparing himself for a fight.

Arthur soon entered the dining room and took a seat with speaking. Everything was normal from what he could see. D.W. was sitting in her chair as David served her a plate of the night's dinner: a juicy slab of meatloaf with a glob of mashed potatoes and a small mass of green peas. Jane was busy placing baby Kate in her high-chair. The infant giggled as she was given a colorful bowl of mashed potatoes and a quite large spoon to match the bowl's design.

David gave Arthur his plate as he poured himself a glass of water. With everyone sitting down to eat their dinner, everything was completely casual- a normal family scene.

No one spoke for at least a minute until Jane placed her fork down and asked her children: "So, how was school today?"

"It was the best day I've had all week!" D.W. told her mother cheerfully. "Emily and I made a pretty pony farm out of clay!"

"That must've been a lot of fun," Jane replied.

"You bet it was!" said D.W.

Arthur rolled his eyes. Unlike him who attended elementary school, D.W. was a preschooler. This meant that all day long, she and many other kids her age would be educated in various enjoyable ways, such as playing games and singing songs. At his school, exciting activities were a rare occurrence. It was one of the many reasons why Arthur envied his little sister; she never got homework or anything like that.

D.W. went on about her day at preschool. Jane and David listened with great interest. Arthur ignored everything his sister was telling everyone about- he simply continued to eat his dinner. Kate, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to it all. Instead of listening to D.W., she went on messily eating her mashed potatoes.

After D.W. was finished talking, David turned to his son. "How about your day, Arthur?" he asked.

"Oh, it was fine," Arthur responded in a voice molded from boredom. "It was another day for me."

"Nothing special?" David questioned.

"Nope," Arthur replied. "All I did was everything according to my normal school schedule and then I went to help Mr. Haney with the school project."

"How's that been going so far?" Jane asked.

"We're making progress," Arthur told his mother. "It's slow and tough, but we're getting somewhere."

Arthur thought that the conversation was over based on the silence that followed his reply. But not more than ten seconds after the speaking ceased, D.W. spoke. "Are you sure you're telling the truth, Arthur?" she inquired her brother suspiciously.

David or Jane could've instantly told her not to harass her older brother but Arthur replied before they had the chance to. "D.W., I'm not in the mood for your stupid tricks," he told her. "The trouble I've been through is enough to handle. So, I kindly ask that you stop."

This did not shake the suspicion out of D.W. at all. "I know you're up to something," she said. "There's something going on that we don't know."

"D.W., your brother asked nicely for you to stop bothering him," Jane told D.W. "You shouldn't be annoying him like that."

D.W. grew furious with her mother. "But, mom, he's-"

"That's enough!" David said angrily. "Not another word about Arthur or you're going to your room; is that clear?!"

D.W. felt anger and fear collide inside her. One moment she was ready to fight against her brother, and now she was afraid of her father. The four-year old hung her head and muttered, "Yes, dad."

The family went on with their dinner, only now it was silent, no words were passed to anyone. Arthur didn't mind that; in fact, he was perfectly okay with it. The way his father had scowled at D.W. was enough to make him laugh in wicked joy. He did not sense the need to laugh, but he did grin at his sister who was now moping as she ate her food.

Not so tough now, are you, D.W.? Arthur thought, as if he was actually talking to his little sister. Keep to your silly Mary Moo Cow show and stay out of my way. It would certainly lift a heavy weight off of my shoulders. You want to get me in trouble? Be prepared to fight me, bitch!

Arthur's thoughts about teaching D.W. a harsh lesson suddenly vanished. They were now replaced by shock and astonishment. He couldn't believe it. Even if it was said in his own thoughts, Arthur couldn't believe that he actually used the word "bitch" to describe D.W.- it was surprising as it was awful. He was thankful that he didn't say any of his thoughts aloud. If he did, anyone could imagine the chaos that would follow- everyone would yell at him and then give him a punishment more merciless than the one he currently had.

Arthur looked around to see if anyone was eyeing him suspiciously. No one was. They were all busy finishing dinner to notice him. Thank God, Arthur thought.

Eventually, dinner came to an end. Everyone collected the plates and took them to the kitchen sink. Then, while David was bringing out dessert, Jane carried a slightly tired Kate upstairs for an evening nap. Arthur and D.W. remained in their chairs, waiting for whatever delicious after-dinner delight to be served. They were equally silent, but Arthur could faintly hear D.W. growl as she kept her head down. He knew that she was still mad at her parents and that continuing to stare at her or saying something would trigger rage in the little girl, and getting into another fight was something nobody wanted in the house. So he looked away from her and kept quiet.

Jane returned to the dining room as David appeared with plates, forks, a knife, and half of a chocolate cake. He placed the cake on the table, sliced it into five separate pieces, and placed four slices onto four individual plates. Once everyone had a slice of cake and a fork, David sat down in his chair and the family enjoyed dessert.

Before long, everyone was done eating. It didn't strike anyone how odd it was- mostly because the affair was noiseless. David and Jane got up and gathered all of the plates and forks and strolled to the kitchen.

Arthur got out of his chair and started to collect the glass cups. When he reached out to take D.W.'s near-empty cup, the girl grabbed her brother's wrist. Arthur felt his heart skip a beat and he almost screamed in terror. His eyes met hers. He saw the rage in her eyes. For him, it was like staring down the devil himself.

"Why can't you just tell us what's going on?" D.W. asked in a vicious growl. "It would make things a whole lot easier than doing detective work, wouldn't it?"

Arthur felt fear dissolve as vexation began to form within him. "There's nothing interesting you'll find in the school project I'm involved in," he told her firmly. "So do us all a favor and stay out of my way."

"Don't you dare lie to me!" D.W. scowled. "You've been going to your friends' homes to watch TV, is that it? You're in so much trouble, Arthur!"

Arthur once again felt his heart thump against his chest as anger morphed into rage. "That's a lie!" he snarled. "Because of you, I have no friends!"

"Don't blame me for your evil ways!" D.W. yelled. "You should've never hit me in the first place!"

"Maybe I wouldn't have if you didn't destroy my model plane!" Arthur roared.

"How was I suppose to know if it was made to fly or not?!" D.W. hollered. "You never tell me anything!"

"I told you not to touch it, but you went ahead and did it anyway!" Arthur yelled, his hands slowly molded into fists. "It was you who made me hit you! It was you who turned everyone against me! It was you who made me fight Binky Barnes!"

At this point, Arthur was ready to attack D.W. fiercely. Pure fury was now controlling him, commanding him to begin the assault. He could've punched her like he had before if D.W. had not grabbed her glass cup containing a small amount of water and hurled it at her brother. She did not keep it in her hand, allowing the water to splash in his face; she literally threw the cup at him.

The cup hit Arthur's forehead and he staggered back from the impact. Then it plummeted to the floor and shattered with a thunderous crash. The water was soaked into the carpet leaving a noticeable stain. All around it were pieces of glass.

David and Jane, who had overheard the kids' shouting, stood in the doorway completely frozen in shock. They thought that they could've ended the argument before things could've escalated into a brutal war. But then they entered the dining room and watched as D.W. cruelly threw her glass cup at Arthur. Both parents found themselves unable to react.

For a brief moment, time had seemingly stopped. No one moved or spoke for what seemed like hours.

Then, Arthur pivoted his head to face his sister. His face held an expression no one in the Read family had ever seen before. His eyes were pitch black and lacked the tenderness the eight-year old aardvark always had. His teeth were visible as he snarled like a wild, rabid animal. The fingers that made up his fists appeared to pulsate like a person's beating heart. He looked like he was actually possessed by the devil.

No one said anything or acted, but in a low, hissing voice, Arthur uttered one sentence: "So, that's how you want to play?!"

Before anyone could react, Arthur lunged at D.W., catching the girl before she could run. The four-year old screamed as her older brother clutched her by her left shoulder and right underarm, and then tightly squeezed. She could do nothing but stare into Arthur's dark eyes, reflecting the evil taking over him.

By now, David and Jane had snapped out of their shock and rushed towards their children. Together, they were able to separate a terrified D.W. from an insane Arthur.

"ARTHUR!" David shouted as he shook his son. "ARTHUR, SNAP OUT OF IT!"

It took a few seconds, but eventually, the fury diminished and Arthur regained control of himself. He was soon breathing as if he had run a great distance between Elwood City and the neighboring town or city.

Arthur looked up at his father. "What just happened?" he inquired.

"You don't remember anything?!" Jane asked angrily.

"I do remember D.W. and I were fighting and she threw a cup at me," Arthur replied.

"So you attacked her?!" Jane yelled.

"Mom, please understand, I-" That was all Arthur could say before David spoke up.

"Okay, that's enough," he said. "Arthur, D.W., go to your rooms. Your mother and I need to talk."

Arthur obliged and left the dining room. D.W. waited until Arthur was climbing the stairs before she cautiously followed.

Jane rose up from her crouching position and glared at David. "Is that seriously how you're going to take care of this?" she asked enraged. "Arthur attacked D.W. like a wild animal!"

"I know, I saw it, too," David replied. "This is yet another horrible thing that's happened since that plane incident."

"I can't believe Arthur would openly hit his own sister!" Jane roared. "He should know better than to do that! He's her older brother! He's suppose to help her out when we aren't available!"

"I know, Jane," said David. "But don't you think we've been adding too much stress on Arthur since he's going through too much already in life?"

"What are you saying, David?" Jane asked. "Are you saying that we're not being good parents? You know that people can't have kids using violence on their siblings!"

"I'm sure they also don't want other kids to get involved, am I right?" David responded.

Jane sighed. She knew he was right about that. She remembered that one afternoon when Arthur came home after school slightly bruised and told them he got into a fight, and how he survived near death while the other kid, Binky Barnes, was taken into custody.

Even when she had the entire memory playing out in her mind, Jane still felt disgusted by her son. "You're right, but still, David, Arthur needs to learn that violence is not the answer!" she told her husband. "We have to get him to stop his awful fighting!"

"Will he even see us as his parents?" David asked timidly.

Jane was surprised by what came out of her husband's mouth. "David, why would you say that?" she demanded.

"On the same night Arthur told us he was in a fight, I told him he should've learned from the experience and then he got angry with me," David explained. "I told him to stop but he didn't listen. When he eventually went to his room, he said it's hard to believe that I'm his father."

Jane was appalled but she didn't let it get in the way. "Dave, no matter what happens," she said; "we have to keep going until good defeats evil. Arthur is in the worst trouble he can be in, and it will get worse unless we help him."

"What will we do?" David inquired.

"We'll start off by talking to him," Jane told him; "and if it doesn't help, we'll seek medical help. One way or another, we're going to end this for the good of our family."

David nodded and they went to fetch some supplies to clean up the mess from the battle that occurred in their home.


	6. Chapter 6

Buster entered Lakewood Elementary School just as he did the previous day. He walked though the hallways of the building at a weary pace- he had an awful night once again. Just as he was ready to fall asleep, he found himself picturing the future that would await everyone in the future- mostly Arthur. Instead of Arthur being an unsympathetic ruffian, he was a miserable, homeless child, begging random people on the streets for spare money. Buster came out of his realistic vision and fell asleep to the best of his abilities; but he could not shake the dreadful thoughts out of his mind. The morning after was just the same as the other day: he plodded into the dining room and his mother asked him if he was alright to go to school, which he answered "yes".

Even when he did his best to sound like he was simply tired, Buster knew all too well that he wasn't his usual self. He was aware that he was suffering from the anger that his friends were constantly feeding. He knew that with the war occurring between him and the rest of the kids was driving him into an inescapable rage- he thought it was the same rage that was now consuming his former best friend. No matter what was said about Arthur Read being a traitor and a villain, Buster kept his beliefs in reach; he knew that all of the negative actions against the aardvark would not get him to admit he was wrong for punching his little sister, but lead him to commit more acts of violence.

Buster wanted everyone to accept his views and opinions, but who would listen to him? All of his friends- those he interacted with every day and those he would often chat with -regarded Arthur as an insane fiend and were already giving him enough exasperation because of his thoughts. Buster felt that he too was becoming an outcast because he wanted to help Arthur. He could not feel more disgusted with everyone than he ever had been when the news of the fight between Arthur and Binky spreaded all over the school, and Arthur began to change into a demented hermit.

Then, just as the aggravation was taking effect, Buster remembered the promise he had made. He was to help Arthur in any way he could, no matter who or what would stand against him. It was sickening to think that practically every child who attended Lakewood Elementary School despised the aardvark so much that shun him and allow him to slip into insanity. If situations like these could make anyone physically sick, Buster surely would have vomited for the third or fourth time. Everyone's actions towards Arthur and the fact that he was the only one left who cared about his best friend was unbelievable, repulsive, and altogether a tragedy.

At that moment a question popped up in the rabbit's head. Could he really do everything by himself? Talking to Arthur was perhaps the most easily part of the mission. He was aware that the most important parts- finding him at the right time, getting him to communicate again, and develop ways for him to fix everything wrong in the past -would be the hardest.

Buster made himself familiar with the intensity of how difficult the process would be. He wished that he would have someone assist him with his therapeutic mission; but the chances of anyone agreeing to accompany him were a million to one.

Buster sighed. "With none of the other kids to help me," he said to himself; "I'll have to go to great lengths to get the old Arthur back."

He wasn't sure how long he was walking aimlessly through the school but it seemed to have gone by so quickly because, at the exact moment he made his vow, the school bell rang for the first class of the day. Buster groaned as he wanted to search for Arthur but was lost in thought. Planning how to properly execute the mission was to be put on hold until everyone was dismissed at the end of the school day.

Buster entered Mr. Ratburn's class and sat in his chair with everyone else. While the teacher commenced the day's lesson, Buster glanced at all of his fellow classmates. Everyone was giving their full attention to Mr. Ratburn, all eyes were on the teacher and all mouths were closed. Francine, Muffy, Binky, and Arthur were among them.

Buster studied Arthur's facial expression; it was the same expression he had since the day after his fight with Binky: dull and blank. It was the most noticeable signs that he was transforming into a barbaric creature. As well as his moods, it was clear to anyone that Arthur was changing by his refusal to speak and physical actions. Buster wasn't sure if Arthur had fought with or threatened another kid with violence, but he knew that that was a great possible. He had to end his friend's descension into insanity, no matter what would happen to either of them.

Buster continued to observe Arthur throughout the school day as long as he could. He took note on how the aardvark repeated his actions from the past two days. In the other classes, he only spoke when he was called on by a teacher to answer a question or read something. In gym class, he was once again active in a way no one had ever seen before, and was first witnessed days ago. At recess, he went on exercising like he was preparing for some sort of fitness club. During lunch, he ate by himself and didn't look at anyone who passed by his table.

Why is Arthur so calm? Buster thought. He's going through some much but he's acting like nothing ever happened. What's going on that we don't know?

The rabbit thought of multiple possibilities but not one of them seemed to be the exact reason why Arthur had shut out the world around him. He knew that the only way to crack the mystery wide open was to confront Arthur. Even if Francine or Muffy would try to prevent him from interacting with Arthur, Buster would keep trying until he got his ex-best friend to talk to him again.

Eventually, the last school bell rang and everyone spilled out into the hallways; many of them were at their lockers while everyone else headed for the main exit.

Buster quickly packed up his backpack and joined the hundreds of kids who were trying to get out the building to go home. It was nearly impossible for him to move since there were huge crowds in certain areas of the school. Kids were chatting with their friends, completely oblivious to the other kids around them. It irritated a lot of the kids. It was especially aggravating for Buster who was searching for Arthur. He wanted to push through the thick crowd but he didn't want to act like a mindless animal when the rage would increase from the unbearable annoyance that surrounded him.

At last, Buster made his way out of school and onto the sidewalk. He began his journey to Arthur's house. He had waited all day for this. He didn't care about the obvious reception from his friends; Buster was determined to gain entry to Arthur's residence, convince his former best friend that there was still hope for him, and come up with various ways to rebuild his friendship with everyone he had lost because of his anger.

Buster finally made it to Arthur's street. His house, and the anticipation that the aardvark would listen to him, was only seconds away.

Suddenly, as if he had magically appeared from it, Binky stepped out from the front yard of a nearby house and onto the sidewalk. Buster made a brave attempt to pass Binky by going onto the street and around him, but, instead of blocking him, the bulldog grabbed the rabbit's arm and dragged him back to the sidewalk.

"What's gotten into you, Binky?!" Buster demanded.

"That depends," Binky responded. "What's gotten into you, Buster?!"

"That doesn't concern you just yet!" Buster growled. He struggled to free his arm from Binky's strong hand. "Let me go!" he demanded.

"Sure," Binky said flatly; "I'll let you go. But first you're going to promise me that you won't talk to or go near Arthur ever again!"

"I'm not giving in to you or anyone else!" Buster roared. "Arthur's life is in serious trouble and all you can do is ignore it?! How cold are you?!"

"Oh, stop being a baby!" Binky retorted.

"I'm being the baby?! Just because I'm trying to help my best friend makes you think I'm acting like a baby?! You're so ignorant- just like everybody else!"

"You'd better watch what you say, Buster; or else, I'm gonna-"

"You're gonna what?! You're gonna beat me up?! I doubt it! The last time you threatened me like that, you backed down and started crying! You're much of a coward as you are a jackass!"

Buster sensed a great pang of shock when he realized what word he had allowed to escape his thoughts. Binky was just as surprised as he was. Instantly, the bulldog grabbed the rabbit by the shoulders and shook him violently.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!" Binky shrieked in total rage.

Buster felt the urge to fight back, yet he couldn't bring himself to do so. He wasn't actually sure why. Anyone could think of the most logical and plausible reasons why. Buster didn't want to get punched by Binky; he was unable to speak due to the bulldog's violent assault; and he couldn't think straight because of the anger building inside of him. Buster didn't know what would exactly happen if he were to attack Binky. The only thing he could reckon then was that he would join Arthur as an outsider, regarded by all as a monster.

Just as things seemed to grow more and more homicidal, a neighbor who spotted Binky savagely shaking Buster called out, "HEY, YOU!"

In an instant, Binky felt his heart in his throat and released Buster. Now free from his attacker's grasp, Buster sprinted towards Arthur's house. When he made it there, the rabbit quickly hid behind the fence. He was clearly visible through the thin spaces that separated the painted boards but he wasn't afraid at all. Just by how the woman yelled about calling the police, it was entirely evident that Binky had run off in fear of being arrested a second time.

Buster cautiously glanced around to make sure that Binky had actually fled. He had indeed left, and now Buster felt more confident in completing his mission.

After he quickly and carefully thought it through his mind, Buster took a deep breath and strolled up to the front door. He knocked loudly but gently. It took a few seconds but he soon heard someone inside the house approaching the door. The door opened a bit. Instead of Arthur's mother or father standing on the other side, Buster saw D.W. looking up at him in a strange way, like he wasn't a person who was welcomed to her home.

"What do you want?" D.W. asked insolently.

Buster swept the little girl's rudeness aside and asked, "Can I talk to Arthur?"

"I thought Arthur lost all of his friends," D.W. snorted.

Buster felt himself losing patience. Nevertheless, he kept himself hopeful and told D.W., "Everyone may have turned against him, but I'm not going to let everyone's thoughts about him get to me. His life is in danger."

"Oh, please!" D.W. retorted. "You expect me to believe that-"

D.W. was unable to finish speaking as her mother pulled her away from the door. "Honestly, D.W., be nice to other people!" she scolded.

After shooing away her daughter, Jane saw Buster standing outside. "Sorry about that, Buster," she said. "D.W.'s been a little cranky lately. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Is Arthur home by any chance?" Buster inquired. "I really need to speak with him."

"I'm afraid he's not home right now," Jane told him. "He's busy helping out with his school principal. I don't really know when he'll come back but I'll tell him you stopped by."

"Okay, thanks," Buster replied as he turned away to leave.

He heard the door close as he walked away. Before he turned right to go home, Buster heard the door open again, and D.W. called out to him; "Keep away from Arthur! He's a monster!"

D.W. swiftly shut the door when she, and Buster, heard Jane yell at her once again. But Buster wasn't interested in that. He was disappointed that he wasn't able to talk to Arthur like he hoped he would. Upset as he was, at least there was a good reason why he couldn't fulfill the next step of his mission. Then again, he felt like there was something suspicious about what he was told. Buster deduced that it would be explained in his eventual talk with Arthur.

During the journey back to his apartment, Buster was halted by Francine. As he had expected, the orangutan was extremely furious. Buster knew right off the bat that Binky, after running away in fear, would alert his friends of the news that he was not listening to their demands about keeping Arthur secluded from everyone else. If there was anyone in all of Elwood City who would be the most infuriated, it would be Francine Frensky. Why she would get so angry at almost everything was unknown to the rabbit but, whether it was a trait she inherited from a member of her family or a characteristic she developed somewhere in her past, it was something he classified as an unusual trait for a girl to have.

Francine started at Buster menacingly as she growled, "You just can't help but be stubborn, can't you?"

"I am not stubborn!" Buster objected. "I am trying to do what's right!"

"How can you be sure?!" Francine interrogated. "Haven't you thought that Arthur's silence is just a cover for something he has planned for the future?! Have you even considered that?!"

"Arthur is not planning to do anything bad!" Buster roared. "He's suffering from being shunned by everyone!"

"Well he shouldn't have punched his little sister then!" Francine barked.

Buster sighed but, the way his mouth was closed and the outrage he felt growing within him, it sounded like he viciously growled.

Francine, with her back turned to Buster, went on with her negative rant about Arthur. "It's still hard to believe he would do such a terrible thing," she said. "I mean, he was one of us, Buster, and then he just completely switches over to something evil! I don't know what's the matter with him, but all I can say is, I'll never talk to him until he says sorry."

"So you're going to let him get worse?!" Buster shrieked.

"So what?!" Francine snarled. "Who cares what happens to him?! If he goes to jail for life, I say good riddance!"

Buster was on the verge of losing his sanity and pouncing onto Francine like a savage predator. But he managed to use words to fight back. "Why you...you stubborn bitch!" he growled; the words instantly grabbed Francine's attention and she turned to face him.

"You are just as stubborn as everyone else!" Buster continued, almost in a whisper. "All you care about is making sure Arthur suffer for one mistake he made- one that could've been avoided and could be resolved with the proper help. But is anyone stepping in to help him? No, no one cares about him but me! He's trying to make up for what he did, though. From what I've heard, he's helping Mr. Haney with some sort of project. Don't you think it's nice of him to try and do something to repair his reputation? Well, don't you?"

Francine stared at Buster for a while. At first she was shocked and enraged that he called her a "stubborn bitch", but now she looked rather confused and suspicious about what he said about Arthur helping their principal with a project. She finally spoke after what felt like five minutes. "Don't you think that's odd?"

"Seriously?" Buster asked, still sounding like he was whispering. "You call helping Mr. Haney odd? I think that it's-"

"Buster, Mr. Haney's not doing any type of project!" Francine told him angrily. "Where did you even here that from?"

"Arthur's mom told me," Buster replied.

Francine pondered for a moment before muttering, "Something's not right."

"Exactly," Buster said, convinced that Francine was about to take his side. "There's something going on in Arthur's life that nobody knows about. He's doing something he wants to keep a secret from everyone. Please, I'm begging you! Help me bring Arthur back to his normal self!"

Silence surrounded Buster and Francine for a long time. While the orangutan deliberated to herself, the rabbit prayed that she would join him. If she did, then perhaps others would join in, and maybe the whole school would pitch in to help their fallen friend. At least then, there wouldn't be so much negative backlash against the aardvark everyone knew well and equally respected.

Finally, Francine turned to Buster and said, "I have my doubts, but, all the same, I'm starting to think that you're on to something. I'll think about it and tell you my answer at school tomorrow."

With that, Francine strolled away to her home, leaving Buster by himself. Buster eventually started walking again and continued his journey to his home. He felt so happy that someone was now considering the possible danger Arthur's life was in and was willing to step in and give him a helping hand. Hopefully Francine was being truthful when she said she would think about it when she got home; otherwise, it would be Buster by his lonesome just as he had began when the events first started.

And then, Buster was hit by a brand new thought. It concerned about someone who was absent since the whole ordeal started. "I must find him," Buster said to himself. "Hopefully he hasn't fallen prey to the corruption. He's the only one who can truly help me with my task."


	7. Chapter 7

"That's it, Arthur! Keep going! That's the spirit! Show this punk who's boss!"

Sharkbite's continued to encourage Arthur to throw sharp punches at one of the heavy punching bags suspended by strong ropes. The young aardvark attacked his "opponent" with swift and perfect jabs every time it (literally) swung back at him. Arthur, despite his age and the time when he began training, displayed great intelligence in boxing. Sharkbite smiled with pride as he watched his student threw blow after blow at the punching bag.

Arthur continued to sweat as he delivered intense punches to the "person" he was up against. He clenched his fists within the red bag gloves he wore and struck fast. Even when he was panting loudly and it felt like his heart was ready to give out on him, Arthur went on with his lesson. He felt like he was on top of the world.

From the bench they were sitting on, Austin and Kyle were relaxing after a long workout. They continuously observed Arthur as he repeatedly punched the heavy bag while Sharkbite motivated him. While they always appeared to mock him, both of them loathed seeing the aardvark go through such an intolerable lesson like boxing training. What they despised the most was that the rabbit teaching him was completely oblivious to the fact that he was encouraging his young student to be angry. They wondered what his parents would say.

"If you could take a guess," Kyle quietly asked Austin; "how pissed off would that kid's parents be if they knew about this?"

"I'm sure they'll tear Fumbine's head off!" Austin replied as quietly as Kyle did.

"Agreed," said Kyle.

Eventually, Sharkbite told Arthur to stop. "Alright, Arthur, that's enough," he said.

Arthur's fists dropped to his sides as he caught his breath. When he was able to form words, he asked, "How did I do, Sharkbite? Was I good enough?"

"Good enough?" Sharkbite replied. "Arthur, your boxing skills are off the charts! You're definitely on the road to stardom!"

Arthur beamed in delight.

"Is that the new way of saying 'getting killed', Fumbine?" Austin called out mockingly.

Arthur and Sharkbite glanced at Austin briefly before deciding to ignore him and his companion when they would speak again.

"Will I really be the future boxing champion like you said I'd be?" Arthur asked.

"Of course you will," Sharkbite told him. "There's sill a lot of training ahead, but, if you continue to do your best and never back down, you'll be at the top in no time!"

The excitement Arthur felt was now gaining strength. He was already visualizing himself as the best boxer in the world. No matter who it was he would go against- how tall they were, how heavy they were, or where they were from -, Arthur would always prove himself to be the world's greatest boxer.

His daydreaming was suddenly interrupted by Kyle shouting, "Yeah, at top of the 'Top 10 Easily Defeatable Boxers and Wrestlers'!"

Arthur and Sharkbite looked at Kyle with angry faces. They were both becoming annoyed with him and Austin shouting out random insults at them. Both the dog and rat had already started, but it was clear that it was going to be long before they'd eventually stop.

While Arthur continued to silently stare at Austin and Kyle, Sharkbite called back at them, saying: "You two got a problem?!"

"Yeah, we got a problem!" Kyle replied. "It's that shrimp you brought here!"

Arthur stepped forward and yelled, "Are you talking about me?!"

"What do you think?!" Austin roared at Arthur. "Nobody wanted you here in the first place!"

"Hey, piss off!" Sharkbite shouted at Austin and Kyle. He then turned to Arthur and calmly said, "Arthur, why don't you get a drink or something. I'll take care of Austin and Kyle."

Arthur nodded and strolled off to a water fountain in one of the gym corners.

Sharkbite marched angrily towards Austin and Kyle. Neither of them showed any signs of fear as the rabbit approached. They were just about ready to knock some sense into Sharkbite, even if it really meant they were simply beating him senseless.

"Alright, spill it!" Sharkbite ordered. "Why are you guys giving Arthur a lot of crap?!"

"Isn't it obvious?!" Kyle snarled. "We're worried about that kid. You're literally sending him straight to his death!"

"Oh, sure; go with that idea!" Sharkbite yelled. "Don't even bother to consider to good things that would come out of this!"

"Like what?!" Austin roared. "Give us one good thing that would come out of you killing a little kid like him!"

Sharkbite's frown shaped itself into a grin. The anger drained from his voice as he said, "The money. The fame. The fans. Shall I keep going?"

Austin and Kyle glared at Sharkbite. They were equally in disbelief as they were in shock.

"You really care about the publicity more than that kid's health?!" Austin howled. "That's just unbelievable!"

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you'll be in when his parents know about this?!" Kyle inquired.

Sharkbite still had a wicked grin on his face. He was clearly unmoved. "You two need to relax," Sharkbite told them coolly. "None of you have to worry about a thing. I have everything under control."

"Oh yeah?" Austin asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah," Sharkbite replied. "As well as his progression, I'm going to keep an eye on Arthur's health. I don't need him sick or anything; that'll effect the training. If he's ever gonna make it to the top, he'll need to know everything about boxing."

"What's your gain on teaching a little kid how to box anyway?" Kyle inquired.

Sharkbite's grin widened as he slowly walked away from Austin and Kyle. After a few steps, the rabbit turned to the rat and dog and asked, "Haven't you seen the ad?"

"Ad for what?" Kyle questioned.

"You both know what I'm talking about," Sharkbite replied.

"We don't," Austin stated. "So, tell us what ad you're talking about."

Sharkbite strolled to a bulletin board and rested his right hand on a piece of yellow paper pinned into the cork material by a single blue push-pin. "Have you seen this ad before?" he asked the dog and rat.

Austin and Kyle rose to their feet and walked over to the bulletin board to see what Sharkbite was referring to. The moment the muscular boys recognized the filer, they became incredibly enraged. It was no ordinary advertisement for any type of special event. It was an announcement for a boxing tournament that was being held in eleven days. According to the handout, several young boxers would meet at "Tony's Sport Arena" and go head to head for the title of Best Juvenile Boxer in the State and the grand prize of one thousand dollars.

Austin and Kyle stared at Sharkbite completely outraged. Teaching an 8-year old how to box was awful enough, but training him to compete in a boxing tournament against other boxers, who would most likely be older than him, was entirely atrocious. The dog and rat knew clearly of what would happen to Arthur if Sharkbite entered him in the tournament. He would end up critically injured and his parents would be more furious than they would be if they knew earlier that their son was being taught how to fight.

After what felt like a minute of silence, Austin finally snapped at Sharkbite who was still grinning like a sinister maniac. "You're out of it, Mark!" he snarled. "You've lost your God damn mind!"

Once more, Sharkbite's mood wasn't effected and he continued to smile wickedly. "Have I?" he inquired. "Are you calling me insane?"

"Yeah, you're insane!" Austin yelled. "You can't do this to him! He'll be torn to shreds!"

"And then his parents will find out and hunt you down!" Kyle added. "Put that kid in the ring and you'll be screwed!"

Sharkbite was still unmoved. "You two have no idea how great this'll be for Arthur, don't ya?" he asked.

"It's not gonna be great for anybody!" Austin shrieked. "Arthur's gonna get hurt and you'll be thrown in the slammer! Is that really how you want to go down in history? Persuading a kid to get himself killed like that?"

Sharkbite calmly shook his head. "Of course not," he responded. "You two shouldn't get yourselves tied up getting paranoid about something that is obviously under complete control."

Neither Austin or Kyle spoke. They were now immensely enraged. They were at a point that their blood was boiling and their heartbeats were gradually increasing. But neither of them said a word. They listened to the rabbit while trying to contain the rage growing inside them.

"Arthur's not gonna get hurt or anything," Sharkbite continued. "I'm gonna make sure that he knows exactly what to do in the boxing ring against anyone who dares challenge him."

"Even if it puts you at risk of being arrested?" Kyle inquired.

Sharkbite chuckled. "Neither of us are at risk of anything," he replied. "You're just losing yourselves to anxiety."

"Well, anxiety's telling us that we should be concerned about that kid," Austin stated as he stood up.

Kyle quickly followed and they glared once more at Sharkbite in anger. Sharkbite did not sense fear or concern at all; not by their expressions, their remarks, not anything.

"I'm gonna say this once and once only," Austin told Sharkbite; "and, God damn it, you better hear me, Mark! You are not going to put Arthur into any type of boxing match, whether it's ameuter or professional! Kyle and I won't let you do this! Let this be a friendly warning."

With that, Austin and Kyle walked away to the door. Sharkbite watched as they exited the gym with the door being violently shut behind them, generating a deafening boom that echoed in the large room. He turned to find Arthur looking up at him slightly worried. He then made his way to his student.

"What was that all about?" Arthur inquired.

"Don't worry about them," Sharkbite replied. "Austin and Kyle must have a loose screw or something. They don't understand how important it is for you to learn how to be a boxer."

"They don't?" Arthur asked.

"They'll never learn until they see you fight for the first time," Sharkbite told him. "As a matter of fact, that's something I wanted to tell you earlier. I want to enter you in an upcoming boxing tournament across town."

Arthur's mouth fell open. He was both shocked and excited; however, he was unable to display his excitement. "A boxing tournament? A real boxing tournament?" he asked in a gasp.

"That's right," Sharkbite responded. "In less than two weeks, young boxers from all across the state are meeting at the local arena to fight their way to get one thousand dollars."

"Wow," said Arthur. "If I had one thousand dollars, I can buy a whole bunch of things!"

"Oh, I bet you can," said Sharkbite. "However, to get one thousand dollars, you have to answer one question: do you want to be in the tournament?"

Arthur felt a twinge of anxiety in his heart and brain. While he wanted to compete in the tournament for the grand prize, he quickly became hesitant. He worried about not being able to fight any boxer he would be put up against; he feared that he would be greatly injured and would be put in a full body cast; he also wondered how horrified his parents would be when they saw him in such an appalling condition.

But then, as soon as the thought of his parents popped up, Arthur imagined how much torment he would go through when D.W. saw him in a crippled state. She would mock him endless since he wouldn't be able to move for weeks- perhaps for months. She would do everything in her power to torture him, like watching her favorite show "Mary Moo Cow" every time she had the TV remote, playing her favorite song "Crazy Bus" non stop, and continuously insulting him about how his injuries was all his fault and how he truly deserved it.

The anxiety he felt swiftly morphed into anger. Arthur was still aware of the possible events that would take place if he would be severely hurt, but that didn't matter to him now that he thought of his little sister and her talent of being a pest. It was still a mystery to him why everyone protected her despite her admiration of acting like a brat; nonetheless, he no longer wanted anything to do with that 4-year old menace.

Arthur looked back up at Sharkbite who was patiently waiting for his answer. "So, what do you say?" the rabbit asked.

"I feel like I want to do it, but, somehow, I'm not so sure about it," Arthur told Sharkbite. "I don't know why but-"

"Arthur, you shouldn't be fooled by what you think," Sharkbite said, cutting Arthur's sentence short. "I mean, it's obviously a good idea to think before you say or act, but this is different. What you need to do is listen to what your heart tells you. You can't just allow everyone around you to control you. That's something you got to avoid: people who abuse their power of authority to make others their puppets."

Sharkbite's statement embedded itself into Arthur's subconscious. His tone of voice and his powerful diction was well enough to feed the message to the young aardvark. Arthur remained silent as his friend's small speech coursed through his body, as if it was mixing in with his blood and making it into a more potent fluid. Within moments, the aardvark was entirely convinced that entering the boxing tournament would be a big step in his life, and would be the starting point in his future career if he was to succeed in winning.

"You're right, Sharkbite," said Arthur. "I'm not going to let anyone tell me how I should be living my life. Not my family. Not my old friends. Not anybody! All I need is to follow my heart, and that means I'm going to that boxing tournament, and I'm not going to stop until I'm the best boxer in the whole wide world!"

Sharkbite grinned from ear to ear. He had Arthur in the position he wanted him to be in. He didn't want his boxing student to listen to what the world told him about himself and where he "stood" in life. Sharkbite had a belief that if a child, regardless of their age or gender, obeyed every order they're given, especially a high number of orders that are not important at all or completely ridiculous, that person would be controlled by everyone around them in their adult years, as if they had string tied to their limbs like a wooden marionette. By introducing Arthur into professional boxing, Sharkbite was certain that he and his little friend were going to stand out from every child in the world.

"I knew you would see the light you were meant to see," Sharkbite proudly told Arthur. "You don't need those people pushing you around. They're all a bunch of stubborn, ungodly hypocrites destined for hell! They'll one day understand that only you can control yourself; even if it means going to drastic measures to assure they get it!"

Arthur smiled and nodded. He didn't want to be controlled by the world and be unable to fight against it. It was horrible to think that he could one day be regarded as a "puppet" and be forced to work and do odd jobs while everybody else in the world could roam freely and do what they pleased. He liked- if not loved -what Sharkbite was advising him to do in his life. It was like he was obtaining the wisdom no one could ever receive. For him, it was magnificent.

Sharkbite then turned towards the door and said, "Come on, pal, let's go home."

Arthur was bewildered. He was expecting Sharkbite to teach him his next boxing lesson right there and then, but he instead suggested that they would leave for the day. It was a comedic stunt in most standards but the aardvark regarded it as a big disappointment.

"What about the boxing tournament?" Arthur inquired.

"Don't get so jumpy about it, Arthur," Sharkbite replied. "We've got plenty of time to practice."

"Are you sure?" Arthur asked worriedly. "How long do we have until the tournament?"

"Starting tomorrow, we have ten days," Sharkbite explained. "But don't worry, we'll sign you up as early as we can."

"When?" Arthur inquired. "Tomorrow?"

"In a few minutes," Sharkbite responded. "After we change our clothes, we'll meet up with Derek and have you signed up for the tournament."

The information was reassuring for Arthur. If anything, he didn't want his training to be hasty; that would easily tire him out and leave him unable to be a contestant in the boxing tournament. When he nodded again, agreeing with his older friend, the duo walked out of the fitness room.

Once they were both in their original clothes, Arthur and Sharkbite strolled through the narrow corridor and out the door, leading them to the lobby. Derek was at his desk reading a sports magazine. He didn't pay the aardvark or rabbit any mind; he was absorbed in reading.

Arthur and Sharkbite exchanged grins as they desired to joke about how the bear was secretly viewing a pornographic magazine and pretending to be looking at a different magazine. Although it would be fun for them, they didn't want to do anything to aggravate Derek since that would probably cause him to not allow Arthur to enter the boxing tournament. They knew that proper behavior would be the most convincing element to achieve their objective.

Sharkbite stepped up to Derek's desk and asked, "Hey, Derek, you know about that boxing tournament at Tony's?"

Derek nodded but didn't reply vocally.

"Well, Arthur and I were wondering if you had a sign-up sheet by any chance," said Sharkbite. "You see, Arthur here wants to go up against the other boxers and win the money they're offering as the grand prize."

"I'll show everyone else a thing or two!" Arthur added confidently.

"See, he's gonna be the best he can be!" Sharkbite told Derek. "I'm gonna teach him how to go head to head against someone and he'll be at the top in no time! Now, where's that sign-up sheet?"

Derek, without responding with words or looking away from his magazine, reached under his desk and withdrew a clipboard with a piece of paper with the title reading in bold capital letters "GRAND BOXING TOURNAMENT SIGN-UP SHEET". The bear placed it onto the desk in front of Sharkbite. Arthur walked up to see the paper for himself.

Arthur and Sharkbite saw that it was completely empty and they smiled. It was indeed early. Arthur was to be the first boxer to be signed up for the tournament. "Alright! We're the first to sign-up!" said Arthur excitedly.

"Oh, yes, we are!" said Sharkbite. He then turned to Derek. "May I have a pen, please?" he asked.

Derek grabbed a black pen from a nearby coffee mug filled with pens and pencils and held it in the air for Sharkbite.

"Thank you, my good man," Sharkbite said as he reached for the pen. "This will be the greatest moment in-"

When Sharkbite was about to take the pen, Derek pulled it away from him. The rabbit was surprised by the bear's sudden action. Sharkbite reached our again when the pen was in reach again, but Derek again prevented him from taking it by moving it away from him.

Sharkbite eventually became irritated and stopped attempting to take the pen for Derek. The bear finally took his eyes off of the magazine and glared at the rabbit bitterly. "Derek, what the hell are you doing?" Sharkbite asked.

"What do you think, Mark?" Derek in turn asked.

"I think you're being childish," said Sharkbite. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like that pen so I can-"

"I'm not giving you this pen," Derek stated, interrupting Sharkbite. He then put the magazine down and continued to stare at the rabbit in front of him. "I'm not going to allow you to do this!" he said pointing a finger at Sharkbite. "Austin and Kyle told me what you had in mind, and I agree with them that you are out of your mind to think of something like that!"

"What? That I want to enter Arthur in the upcoming boxing tournament?" Sharkbite inquired. "What's wrong with that?"

"He's too young to box, Mark!" Derek told him angrily. "He's not at the right age to do it! Chances are he'll be critically injured if he was to fight against someone else!"

Sharkbite became immensely enraged. "I thought I told you that Arthur can fight!" he snarled. "I told you what happened! Arthur himself told you what went down that day! You yourself were impressed and signed him up to join this gym! You can't tell me you're gonna forbid him from accomplishing his dreams!"

"Under the right circumstances I can!" Derek roared. "I was alright with you showing Arthur how to defend himself, but convincing him to enter a boxing match is where I draw the line!"

"You won't give him a chance, won't you?!"

"I don't want him to get hurt, that's all! Besides, have you forgotten that Arthur has parents? When they learn about this, they will not be happy! They're going to call the police and hunt us down!"

"Forget about it, Derek! That's how people become over-reactive: they worry too much about everything!"

"Are you saying I don't know everything I hear?!"

"Oh, that's what I'm saying!"

"You wanna bet?!"

Sharkbite's anger seemed to have diminished at the sound of a bet as he grinned. Arthur and Derek saw his grin and they had the same idea of what was about to happen.

"Alright," Sharkbite said calmly. "If you want to make a bet with me, I won't argue any further."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" he asked in suspicion.

"Yeah," replied Sharkbite. "What'll it be, Derek?"

Derek pondered for a moment but Arthur spoke up before he could.

"I think I know the perfect wager," said Arthur. "It's simple really. If I win, I'll continue to box and you won't say a word to anybody, Derek. But if I lose, I'll give up boxing forever and I'll tell my parents everything they need to know."

Derek and Sharkbite were amazed by Arthur's proposal on a wager. They briefly glanced at each other and then back to Arthur. It was clear that it was a done deal when Derek handled Sharkbite the pen. A moment later, Arthur's name was on the list.

"I hope you're happy with yourself," Derek said to Sharkbite.

"Oh, I am," Sharkbite told Derek. "This is going to be the crowning achievement in our lives."

"I'm sure it is," Derek mumbled.

Sharkbite handed the clipboard back to Derek, who quickly snatched it from the rabbit and then leaned in close to him. "One more thing, Mark," he growled. "When Arthur loses- if he does, of course -and you get your ass arrested, I'm gonna make sure you're out of here permanently! You were a good member here long ago, but lately you've been full of crap! So you better reconsider this!"

"I won't," Sharkbite stated. "I'm happy about this."

Sharkbite walked away from Derek and towards the main exit. He made a gesture for Arthur to follow him. The young aardvark complied and strolled behind the older rabbit.

Before they both left the gym, Arthur turned to Derek and said, "Wait and see, Derek. This world is going to love me just like Sharkbite says it will. You won't be disappointed."

With that, Arthur let go of the door and followed Sharkbite onto the street. The door slammed shut and Derek was now alone. He didn't mind it though. It wouldn't be long before the gym closed since it wasn't a typically busy place, so he took the opportunity to relax more than he would during normal operating hours.

However, Derek couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that was forming in the back of his mind. It was hard for him to believe that someone like Sharkbite would persuade someone like Arthur to begin a boxing career at a very young age and without the knowledge of his parents. He wished that he had asked Arthur for personal information, mostly his phone number or address, so, if something bad happened to him, he would be able to contact his parents. Derek knew that would have been impossible as Sharkbite wanted everything to be kept away from Arthur's family for his own reasons. That only added more guilt in the bear's thoughts.

"God, have mercy if Arthur fails," Derek said in a hoarse whisper. "I ask for forgiveness if the worst happens to him."


	8. Chapter 8

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I got the idea for this chapter by someone by the name of " _Guest_ ". Because the name " _Guest_ " means that the person is anonymous, I can't give him or her the proper amount of credit; but I'm still saying that someone gave me the idea for this chapter so it won't sound like I'm stealing his or her idea. With that said, let's continue the story.

Light gray clouds hung over Elwood City. They weren't menacing clouds, but their presence did provoke a sense of concern if they were to grow darker, which would lead to either a normal rainstorm or a nasty thunderstorm. It was debatable since the weather forecast predicted a fifty percent chance of rain for the day and the next. People however hoped that it wouldn't rain today, so they could get out of the house and do something with their friends and family.

Buster laid in bed half asleep half awake. He was aware that it was morning- it was precisely 7:27 AM -and he should be making himself ready for school, but he couldn't. Just like everyone else on a cloudy day, Buster felt exhausted and lazy, so he remained in his bed.

The rabbit was lucky though. He remembered that today was Saturday; there would be no school until Monday. Though he was glad that he could stay in bed all day, Buster was also disappointed. Just the other day, he had convinced Francine to reconsider her actions and join him in helping Arthur see reality once again. She promised him that she would think about her answer and tell it to him at school. But since school wasn't in session today, he wouldn't know for another two days.

Eventually, Buster decided that he couldn't stay in bed all day. He sluggishly got out of bed and stretched his limbs, back, and neck. Then he got dressed and went to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

In the kitchen, Buster found his mother cooking pancakes. Bitzi turned to her son and said, "Good morning, sweetie."

"Good morning, mom," Buster replied with a slight yawn.

"Did you sleep well?" Bitzi asked.

"Yeah," said Buster. "What do you ask?"

"You've been worried about something for a couple days and I'm getting a bit concerned," Bitzi told her son. "Remember, if there's something bothering you, just come and talk to me; okay?"

"Okay," Buster responded; he made sure that his voice was normal so it wouldn't sound like he was hiding his lies.

Bitzi smiled and went back to cooking breakfast.

Buster stepped up to the refrigerator and opened the large bottom door. He withdrew the glass pitcher of orange juice and placed it on the counter, and then he closed the door of the fridge. Buster went to the cupboard to collect a glass. He then poured a generous amount of orange juice before placing the pitcher back in the fridge.

Buster took his glass and drank some of the juice. It felt refreshing travelling down his throat; the juice moistened his throat so it wouldn't be too dry. As he set his glass down on the kitchen table where he would sit to eat his breakfast, the phone rang. "I'll get it," Buster said as he hurried to the ringing phone.

The rabbit took the receiver which caused the ringing function to cease and he spoke into it. "Hello?"

To Buster's surprise and satisfaction, the voice who spoke on the other end was that of Francine. "Hey, Buster," she said. "I know it's early, but I wanted to tell you that I've come to a decision."

"That's great," Buster replied. "Can we meet somewhere today so we can talk about it?"

"Sure," Francine responded. "Does that park sound good?"

"Definitely," said Buster. It was then when the thought he had last night returned to him and he asked Francine: "By any chance can you talk to the Brain? I really think he can help us."

"I was just thinking the same thing," Francine replied. "I have his number and address, so I'll be sure to give him a call whenever I can."

"Please try today."

"I will. I'll see you at the park this afternoon; okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Buster placed the receiver back on the set and joined his mother in collecting his stack of pancakes. "Who was it?" Bitzi inquired.

"Oh, that was Francine," Buster told his mother. "She wanted to know if I could meet her at the park this afternoon with some friends."

"That sounds like fun," said Bitzi. "Just be home before dinner; okay?"

"You have my promise, mom," Buster replied and took his plate to the kitchen table.

Breakfast was as normal as it was any other day. The pancakes Bitzi made were especially tasty. In Buster's mind, he thought that it was because it was Saturday and the day added a special zing to everything that would occur from morning to night. If that was true, then hopefully he could get his other friends to realize that shunning Arthur was an unbefitting move that only worsened the situation, and they could all work together to help pull their friend out of the sea of vexation.

Buster did not let his concern over Arthur leave his mind for the rest of the morning. The last thing he wanted was to forget all about his fallen friend and wind up neglecting to meet Francine at the park. A simple action like that would not only make her angry, but it would have a much more negative effect on his mission to snap Arthur back into reality.

About thirty minutes after eating lunch, Buster prepared himself to leave the apartment. There had been some rain a couple hours before, but the rabbit wasn't taking any chances. He grabbed his jacket from his bedroom closet and walked out the door.

The journey was long to Buster when it was actually a short walk from his apartment complex to the park. It was possible that the gloomy weather made him think that there was a great distance between his home and the park. Even if there wasn't anything that caused a sudden mental effect on him, Buster was determined as ever to get in contact with Francine, and, hopefully, with the Brain.

Everyone at Lakewood Elementary School, or at least all of Buster's friends, were familiar with the Brain. He was a young but incredibly intelligent bear named Alan Powers. It was entirely obvious why Alan had been nicknamed "the Brain", but, for many, it was bizarre for someone his age to be so smart. Even when he was a third grader, everyone said he shared the intellect of a sixth of seventh grader. Some people even joked to themselves that his parents were secretly considering having him skip a few grades to increase his intelligence- or, at least, they would allow him to continue his current academic schedule and plan his future early since any college in the country would accept him in the blink of an eye.

The sensation of optimism that coursed through Buster's veins became more powerful when he passed through the front gates of the park and, after strolling down the path that stretched through the area for a minute or two, spotted Francine and the Brain sitting on a white-colored bench, conversing with themselves quietly. When Buster approached them, Francine caught a glimpse of him and looked directly at him. "It's about time you got here," she said a little irritated.

"I'm sorry if I kept you guys waiting," Buster responded.

"It's not that much trouble," said the Brain. "I actually got here about five minutes ago."

"How long have you've been here?" Buster asked Francine.

"I don't know; maybe six or eight minutes ago," Francine replied.

"Well, I'm sorry to keep you waiting," said Buster. "It would have been bad if I forgot about this completely."

The Brain got up from the bench and said,"Let's not get too concerned over that. Come on, let's walk around the park for a bit."

Francine got up and the trio strolled leisurely through the park.

During their walk, Buster said, "Thanks for coming out to talk to us, Brain."

"Absolutely," replied the Brain. "What we're dealing with is a very serious but delicate situation that must be addressed."

"I understand that this is serious," said Francine; "but how can something like this be called 'delicate'?"

"It's easy to explain really," the Brain began. "Just like everyone at school, I had heard about the incident through the authority of other students. Even though I was disgusted by Arthur's use of violence against his younger sister, I did not confront him about it after I witnessed a group of students villainizing him for his refusal to admit he was wrong to attack his sister- this includes you, Francine."

Francine's eyes dropped to her shoes. She couldn't comprehend how much hate she and her friends had brought upon Arthur. She abhorred every ounce of pure hostility she had inflicted onto her former ex-friend. She despised herself the most- she had allowed anger to control her, and, as a result, it had promoted Arthur to do what he did to Binky so many days ago. In the end, Francine did not utter a word; she only sighed.

"Have you heard about what happened to Binky?" Buster inquired.

The Brain nodded. "He told himself two days after his arrest," he said. "From the facts I've gathered over the past week, I believe I have the most plausible hypothesis to why Arthur attacked Binky."

Francine returned her attention to the Brain. "Well, tell us," she insisted.

The Brain cleared his throat. "Just like how I called the situation 'delicate', it's all easy to explain," he stated. "When people are young, they are only in the beginning of the learning process. They would get interested in things and wish to know more. This would explain why D.W. broke Arthur's model airplane."

Buster and Francine nodded, showing the Brain that they were listening to his statement.

"Now, if what Arthur said was true that D.W. was constantly bothering him," the Brain continued; "this would undoubtedly cause him to become stressed and hostile. So, when she accidentally ruined his model plane, the build-up of anger within him finally broke free, and, thus, he hit his sister."

Once again, Buster and Francine nodded their heads.

"Was this the case when Binky punched Arthur?" Francine questioned.

"Precisely," said the Brain. "I understand that everyone is immensely outraged by Arthur's act of unthinkable violence, but, to me, calling him out in such a repulsive manner will not make him realize the error in his choice of action. Everyone is only making the situation worse, just like pouring gasoline on a fire to put it out."

"That's what I've always thought," Buster stated.

Francine didn't respond to the rabbit. She asked the Brain: "How worse is this going to get?"

The Brain pondered before answering with: "Arthur's mental health could decline severely. Considering what occurred a week ago, Arthur's judgement will most likely be the most affected. He'll become incredibly violent and may be introduced to alcohol and illegal drugs; all in the hopes of relieving himself from the stress of the world that 'despises' him."

"That's horrible," said Francine.

"Have either of you tried to talk to him?" the Brain inquired.

"I tried a billion times to get him to say something!" Buster replied. "He just doesn't respond with words or sounds! Most of the time, though, everyone else pulls me away from him and threatens me to stay far away from him!"

The Brain turned to Francine. Her eyes went back to the ground as she sighed. "Binky, Muffy, and I kept forcing him to ignore Arthur," she told the Brain.

The Brain frowned. "That wasn't very good thinking; was it?" he asked her sternly.

"No," Francine quietly replied, clearly ashamed of her actions towards Arthur.

"Do you have anything in mind on how we can help Arthur?" Buster asked the Brain.

"I've thought long and hard about this," said the Brain. "I've come up with various solutions but, at the same time, I've considered the outcome of my thoughts. The most logical option we have is to inform an adult about this- specifically someone who specializes in psychology."

Francine nodded but Buster did not. "I want to try to get Arthur to talk first," he said. "His silent streak is really making me worried."

"I know you want to help him as much as you can," the Brain replied; "but this issue is becoming much more critical than it should be. Seeking the assistance of adults isn't just my personal recommendation; it's the only option we have to save Arthur and his sanity."

"I know," Buster sighed. "My mom keeps telling me that if something's bugging me I should tell her about it, but I don't know about telling her this. I'm worried everyone will over-react and things will end up badly for everyone."

"I understand your concern about the reaction and response of the adults," said the Brain; "but you must consider the outcome of your own belief. The task of every parent has been the same for centuries: they are to nurture and guide their children through the early stages of life. That doesn't exclude the use of discipline; children must be taught how to obey rules and regulations, even if it means their parents have to punish them by any means necessary. The past events make it clear that it's going to take more than a simple ban from television to put Arthur in order. We must take appropriate action to ensure that he doesn't lose all of his mentality."

Buster thought about what the bear had told him. It was entirely true that the best way to help Arthur was to inform his parents. However, he felt anxiety return when he began to image the concern on the faces of Arthur's parents when they would learn about their son's behavior. He also wondered if there would be an alternate reaction from the mother and father. Would they instead be incensed or paranoid about Arthur's possible, horrific future? Buster was unsure, and he most certainly did not want to find out.

Francine spoke up. "If Buster wants to try and talk to Arthur, we should at least be there," she said. "Of course, we'll have to find him first."

Buster and the Brain turned to Francine. "What do you mean?" the Brain inquired the orangutan. "I'm certain he would be home on a Saturday; wouldn't he?"

"Perhaps he is, but that doesn't mean he is," Francine replied. "From what Buster told me yesterday, he went to Arthur's house to get him to talk, but his mom said Arthur was busy with some school project."

The Brain's head pivoted to Buster. "Is that true?" the Brain asked.

"Yes," Buster said with a nod. "She told me that Arthur and Mr. Haney were working on something; I think they and a group of kids are doing something to the school."

"That sounds strange," said the Brain. "As a matter of fact, it's very perplexing now that I consider all that I have heard from you about him."

"What do you think of it?" Francine asked.

"My answer is only conjecture, but it may be as close to truth as it is," the Brain stated. "Mr. Haney would not enlist any school student in a project unless he would announce it over the intercom, on the bulletin board outside the Main Office, or by a simple letter home to parents or guardians who will sign their children up. Arthur must've concocted this as a way to hide whatever he's doing when he's not at school or at home."

"What could he be doing that he doesn't want anyone to know about?" Buster asked his friends.

"That's debatable," the Brain responded; "but we cannot come up with any scenario of any kind until we get enough evidence to support our claims. But that will only happen if we agree to continue on with your plan. We should do what's right and tell our parents about Arthur so they can help him."

The Brain and Francine noted that Buster now appeared more perturbed than they've ever seen him before. It was easy for the bear and orangutan to decipher why the rabbit appeared exceedingly agitated. His desire was to communicate with Arthur and work out a method of rebuilding friendship with everyone who now shunned him, but he was now engaged in a mental battle between his vision and the Brain's proposal of informing the adults of the issue. While his reason for rejecting the idea was quite plausible, the suggestion of parent involvement was much stronger than him dealing with all the complicated steps of negotiation himself.

Francine walked over to Buster and said, "Hey, I know how much you care about your best friend, but you really have to think about this."

Buster's mood suddenly changed. Instead of being paranoid, he was now angry. "And I understand that you still have a grudge against him," he growled; "but you can't just-"

"Buster, I let go of that!" Francine argued back. "After what I've heard, I've totally realized what I did to Arthur was wrong! What's gotten into you?"

"If you're on my side, you would agree with my idea!" Buster whined.

"I am on your side!" Francine roared. "I just have certain doubts about your idea!"

Buster was ready to go mad but the Brain intervened. "Buster, stop and calm yourself!" he said. "I understand that you are upset about this. This conversation and all that has happened over the past week has put a lot of stress on you. It's clear that you want to help Arthur the way you want it to be done, but you have to reconsider."

Buster was still mad as he was when the argument began.

"If you care about Arthur as you say you do, then you would do what's right," the Brain concluded.

Francine saw that Buster still wasn't listening. She put a hand on his shoulder and said, "He's right, Buster; you just can't go and do what you want, you have to stop and think about it."

Buster's eyes locked onto Francine's. The orangutan was not nervous by the rabbit's indignant stare. "Think about it, Buster," she continued. "If something like this happened to you, don't you think Arthur would have the same problems you're facing now? Wouldn't he go to his parents for help?"

Even when he was ready to deliver another harsh reply to his friends, Buster stopped to consider the argument presented before him in a much more clearer sense. His opinions were still the same, but he thought about the possibilities of his plan failing miserably. If it did, what would come next? His answer to his own question was just the same: a horrid future either violent or depressing for the aardvark. He wanted his plan to succeed, but the question was, how could it be achieved?

Francine and the Brain saw that Buster was struggling with his emotions again, and the Brain broke him out of his anger by saying, "If you're not ready to give us an answer, we'll give you some time to think about it. Just come to us when you have an answer; okay?"

Buster looked up and replied with a simple: "Okay."

"I'll try to talk to Muffy about this and we'll see if she'll join our team," Francine told Buster. "Hopefully we can get everybody onboard."

"And I'll do some research for various methods of rehabilitation," the Brain added.

Buster finally smiled. "Thanks, guys," he said. "Hopefully Arthur will be back to his normal self in no time."

The three friends said their goodbyes and went home. As he left the park for his apartment, Buster couldn't help but be overcome by the joy given off from the optimism of his future expectations. Although he still debated on whether or not his plan would be the most successful, Buster felt confident that the end of Arthur's torment would be over, and, before anyone knew it, he would be the good friend he always was.

However, at the back of his mind, Buster wondered what Arthur was really doing. He knew that the aardvark wouldn't go off the deep end and use drugs to relieve his stress and depression, but the real reason was unknown to the rabbit, and he was determined to find out.


	9. Chapter 9

The rest of Saturday went on normally without any mishap of any kind. There wasn't any type of vehicle accident or anything of that nature that disturbed the usual, gentle flow of life in Elwood City. For all of the city's inhabitants, everything was just as it should be.

The tranquility carried on into the next day. Since it was Sunday, the serenity thrived at a tremendous rate throughout the majority of the day. Just like the previous day, nothing happened that shattered or disturbed the peace; not once at all. Because of it, everyone was cheerful and went about their affairs without any worrying thought.

David and Jane Read took an instant liking into the marvelous tranquility. It was still unclear to them why but, as if by a wonderful miracle, everything that went on in their house was completely peaceful and without any flaws or dilemmas. Most of the calmness that was felt throughout the house, they both noted, was from the unusual silence of their children. It wasn't that the sounds of their kids playing or interacting with one another was something they did not want. What made this fact a little concerning was that there was no interaction at all between D.W. and Arthur- for that matter, there was hardly any interaction between Arthur and his whole family.

Neither David or Jane were concerned about what D.W. was up to, but, from their perspective, it was very bizarre that Arthur was isolating himself from everyone. He was usually a well-behaved, very lovable child. It was entirely true that what took place a week ago was perhaps the first thing a person of his standards would never do in all his life, but there was still something about their son's current behavior that was making them extremely uneasy.

Both parents met in the kitchen to discuss the matter at hand. David was the one who wanted to talk as soon as possible while Jane was about half concerned as she was disgusted with Arthur's past actions. It wasn't just the incident with the model airplane that made her mad at her eldest child, it was also the event that took place in the dining room a few days ago, when D.W. threw a glass of water at him and Arthur reacted by viciously attacking her without thought.

"I should probably say this now and not when I'm angry," said Jane; "Arthur's behavior has gotten worse over the week. I don't say this because of the fight he and D.W. had; I mean, he's just not who he is anymore."

"I can agree with you on that," David replied. "Things just haven't been the same since D.W. broke his model plane."

Jane shook her head. "I just don't understand what went wrong," she said. "Arthur would always do all the right things, and now...I just don't know what to say. He punched D.W. and won't say he's sorry, and now he's ignoring everybody."

"I wouldn't say he's ignoring everybody," David said to his wife; "I would say that...well, he's upset and angry at the same time."

"As am I," Jane replied.

David stared at Jane with both shock and concern. Jane registered her husband's emotional and physical response and told him: "David, I'm well aware that you're worried about Arthur, but you really have to think about what's been going on for the past week. He hit his sister for one simple mistake, then he gets involved in a fight with another kid, then he attacks his sister like a wild animal, and now he's just shunning the world around him! God knows what's happening to our son but I don't care what it is; I just want it to stop!"

"As do I," David replied. "Did you try talking to him?"

"I've tried a dozen times but he doesn't respond at all," said Jane. "Did you try at least once?"

"I haven't," said David. "But I might try tonight."

"Why?"

"It's been a week since the plane incident; hasn't it?"

"That's right; it has been a week."

David and Jane knew that when they learned that Arthur had struck D.W. with one blow to the shoulder, they forbidden him from watching TV for one week. That was seven days ago. They knew that his punishment would be lifted that night and he would be free to watch TV again.

"What do you have in mind?" Jane asked.

"Perhaps we can sit him down on the couch and talk to him," David explained. "Perhaps we could offer the remote to him in exchange for a few explanations. What do you think?"

Jane thought about her husband's plan for a moment. She then replied with: "That could work. But what if it doesn't? What do we do then?"

"I'm still trying to think about that," said David. "I don't know; maybe we could tell him that we still love him and that we're always there for him- even though I doubt that would work."

This made Jane confused at what David had told her. "Why would you think it would fail?" she inquired.

"I guess it's what Arthur told me days ago," David sighed. "I wanted him to learn a lesson but, instead, he tells me that it's hard for him to believe that I'm his father."

"Dave, that's ridiculous!" Jane protested. "No matter what, Arthur will always see you as his father. Just because he's been going through rough times doesn't mean that you can just stand and watch as things get worse for him! You have tons of ideas on how we can help with our son, so we should step in and do those plans!"

Despite the feelings of fear, from the possibilities of his plan failing, and dejection, from the hurtful words of his son's horrid statement coursing through his thoughts, David knew in his heart that this would be their only option to solve Arthur's problem themselves. If they were unsuccessful, they would have to resort to the assistance of a psychologist to fully understand how much their son had been affected by the events of the past week and, most importantly, how they could help him restore his character into the admirable child he once was.

David and Jane decided to execute their plan after dinner. It was 6:38 PM when they entered the living room and sat on the couch in front of the television set. Jane picked up the remote which was resting in between her and David and held it in her hand. They were both a little anxious about the upcoming conversation they were about to have with their son. It was plausible that he would raise an argument with them, but they were determined to not let something like that separate them from their objective.

While they sat in silence and built up mental courage, D.W. sauntered into the room and stepped up to her parents. "How come the TV isn't on?" she inquired. "Is the TV broken?"

David and Jane looked down at their second youngest child. "No, honey, the TV isn't broken," Jane replied. "We're just waiting for Arthur to come in so we can talk to him."

"Why?" D.W. asked raising an eyebrow.

"Your father and I just need to ask him some questions," Jane told her eldest daughter. "It's nothing we need you to be a part of."

This only increased D.W.'s interest. She didn't know what they wanted to talk to him about at first, but then she remembered everything that happened over the course of seven days and became both curious and devious.

D.W. was about to say something but her father David spoke before she could. "D.W., could you please leave the room for a while?" he said. "Your mother and I need to talk to Arthur privately."

"Why can't you just go up to his room?" D.W. questioned. "I'm sure he's in there. He oughta be thrown into a circus cage and sold to the zoo. He should be regretting every stupid thing he did; am I right?"

David and Jane were outraged. "Dora Winifred Read, those words are unexceptional!" Jane roared. "Your brother is constantly angry and we're worried sick about him! There is no excuse for you to say something like that about your brother!"

D.W. was quickly devoured by intense anger. "But that monster-"

"That will do, young lady!" David yelled. "We have heard quite enough from you!" He then pointed to the staircase. "Go to your room, now!" he ordered.

An expression of utter rage formed on D.W.'s face, but it slowly faded as she sighed and ambled out of the living room and up the stairs. David could have sworn that he heard the young aardvark grumble, "That stupid animal deserves to be in jail forever!"

David ignored what D.W. had said to herself. He wasn't sure if Jane had heard the little girl but that was eventually forgotten as they both got themselves ready for their talk with Arthur.

During their time of mental preparation, their ears detected the sound of footsteps coming from their right. Surely enough, it was Arthur casually walking towards the stairs. David stopped him by calming calling out to him. "Arthur!"

Arthur ceased walking and turned around. David and Jane immediately noticed how apathetic their son appeared. It was especially noticeable in his voice as he asked, "What?"

"Come and have a seat," David told his son. "You mother and I would like to spend a little time with you."

Arthur's expression and voice didn't change one bit. "Why?" he asked in the dull, annoyed voice he spoke with.

"Just come and sit with us," Jane said gesturing for Arthur to enter the living room and sit on the couch with them.

Arthur did not move. He instead asked, "Why do you want me to?"

David and Jane felt hope slowly slip away. They couldn't bear to listen and watch as one of their own children disobey them in such a manner as Arthur's. It didn't fill them with anger and disgust, it just left them stunned.

"We just want to talk to you," David finally replied after a long moment of hesitation.

"Yeah, it's nothing to be afraid of," Jane added. She lifted up the TV remote and said, "After our talk, we'll let you watch TV. After all, your punishment is over."

They thought that the offer of the TV remote would lure Arthur into the room and their conversation with him would get underway. Unfortunately, their son remained where he stood. It was as if he knew something dark and atrocious that they didn't want him to know. They were afraid that their 8-year old son would become mad and indignant. However, he simply stood in place and stared at his parents.

Eventually, Arthur spoke, saying, "I don't care what stunt you're trying to pull. Whatever it is, it's not going to work. Besides, I don't have any time to watch TV. I have much more important things to do than watch cartoons all day."

Arthur then turned around and began walking to the stairs again. Before he went up the first step, he glanced at his parents and said, "But thanks anyway."

The despair David and Jane felt within surged to an intense level. This was the thing they would not allow to get pass them no matter what. They simultaneously bolted off the couch and hurried up the stairs after their son.

Arthur was on the top step, looking down at them with the same, unamused expression. "Why are you both so scared all of a sudden?" he inquired. "Aren't you happy that I'm giving up watching TV?"

"Arthur, something like that is just impossible," Jane responded in a tone of voice that defined the potency of her concern. "It's also something that doesn't go well with your personality."

"That was long ago," Arthur stated. "I am no longer that kid."

"Arthur, you can't just change your attitude like this," David said taking the side of his wife. "For someone like you, it's just not naturally. You don't have to-"

"Well, look here, buddy," Arthur said angrily; "and you better listen good! I've changed since D.W. broke my plane and didn't care about me or my feelings at all! If you don't like it, well, you're just gonna have to accept it!"

Arthur turned around to walk to his room but David, obviously offended by his proclamation, stopped him in his tracks by grabbing his shirt sleeve. "Now, just a minute!" he barked. "Just because we're being sympathetic doesn't mean that you can be in such a bad mood!"

Because he had his back turned towards them, neither David or Jane saw Arthur roll his eyes, but they did hear him emit a loud growl that resembled one of a ferocious lion. The young aardvark sharply spun himself around to face his now angry parents. "You just can't help but make me mad; can't you?!" Arthur snarled. "Neither of you care what happens to me!"

"That's not true!" Jane protested, marching up to her son to confront him more sternly. "You're father and I love you very much, and to say that we hate you is like saying you want someone to die!"

"Well it's true I want someone to die," said Arthur; "but it's not either of you!"

Arthur furiously stomped towards the door which would lead him into his bedroom. His mother and father didn't make another attempt to stop him. They simply kept their distance from their indignant son.

When he turned the knob to the door, Arthur heard his father shout, "Arthur, you know better than to say that you want someone in your family to die! D.W. is 4-years old, and you're 8-years old; you should-"

"TO HELL WITH D.W.!" Arthur screamed, not caring at all if D.W. heard him. After entering his room, Arthur stared at his parents with incensed eyes and yelled, "There is no way I would ever forgive that brat for all she did to make my life terrible! I don't even care what'll happen to both of you! I won't feel any sympathy to anyone of your standards! You call yourselves great parents? I call you stubborn, ungodly hypocrites!"

With that, Arthur violently slammed his bedroom door, leaving David and Jane stunned. As outraged and appalled as any parent would be, they were also sad that their plan to reestablish their relationship with their son had failed. Both parents were speechless and the intensity of the verbal fight had stiffened their limbs and they were practically frozen. Neither of them moved until they heard Kate's loud wailing and Jane left her husband to comfort the infant. David eventually descended the stairs to the living room in silence.

Nothing else uncommon happened until the next day.

Monday started off normally for Arthur and D.W.; they ate breakfast and went to school as usual. Neither child spoke to each other, nor did they ever exchange sour faces while their parents weren't looking. Their kinship as brother and sister had turned extremely pungent, and it seemed plausible that it would never be refreshed.

David and Jane were unnaturally quiet as they helped prepare their children for school and saw them off as they went on their way to their respective schools- Arthur walked to Lakewood Elementary School, and D.W. was dropped off at Elwood Community Preschool. Both husband and wife were still shaken up from the fight with their son and it was hard for them to look at, talk, or even get near Arthur without getting afraid of the possibility of another verbal battle. Arthur took no notice of his parents' odd behavior. D.W. did the same. But, unlike his younger sister, Arthur relished the silence that came in the aftermath of the fight the previous evening. He believed that his parents had finally received his thoughts and theories, and he could now carry on with his life without any more issues.

For Arthur, it was another day in his new life. When he woke up that morning, he sensed the familiar sensation of bliss, satisfaction, and confidence all in one. He had a bowl of cereal and stuffed a fresh pair of clothes for his after-school boxing lessons that week into his backpack. On his journey to school, visions of a magnificent future popped up within the aardvark's mind. The sensations he felt when he woke up reappeared stronger than ever. Because of the ultimate sense of euphoria he felt, he became more active and productive in some of his classes, mostly gym class. It also kept strength because none of his former friends, who Arthur considered to be shadows of a rotten life he left behind, never approached him or tried to get his attention- not even Buster tried to communicate with him as he did the previous week. He was more happier than on every other joyous event in all of his young life.

At three o'clock, the final bell rang and everyone was on their way home. Because of the remarkable lack of all things bad and misfortunate, everything that happened in school that day ran like clockwork. The students were glad that nothing happened that would have a negative effect on their good moods. They were even more happy when it was time for them all to go home. While the youths did the usual things they would do as they left the building for the day, the atmosphere over them all was more potent with all the cheeriness from all the children chatting with their friends and such.

Arthur himself was filled to the top with exhilaration. With the temptations of his next boxing lesson going up to the next and final level, the happiness within him was so great that it could be defined as "exuberance". The aardvark was so excited that he could hop like a little bunny all the way to the boxing gym. He didn't want to travel there like a little kid, though, so he contained his eagerness inside and controlled it without a hitch.

Upon exiting the school, the anticipation of his next boxing lesson was at its greatest. Arthur sensed it as it added more power to his legs and he walked at a much faster pace. The aardvark accepted his exhilaration and he continued on his way to the boxing gym.

He abruptly halted as a deafening car horn rang out. Arthur, once he calmed down from the shock, turned to see a familiar red car idling near the school entrance. It wasn't the vehicle that caught his attention, but the person in the driver's seat. Oh, God! Arthur thought as he turned away and began walking faster than before.

From behind, Arthur heard the car horn blare as he broke into a frantic run. He then heard the car advance toward him. Up ahead was Sharkbite. He saw his student and the car pursuing him. The rabbit pointed to his left and called out to the aardvark: "GO RIGHT! I'LL BE WITH YOU SOON!"

Arthur watched as Sharkbite darted to a fence and hopped over it. He did as his friend told him and he ran to the right. He raced down a long sidewalk that led him into a quiet neighborhood. There was no one in sight from what Arthur could see, and he prayed that no one would see what was going to happen when the car and the person driving would catch up to him.

Even though fear was the predominant emotion Arthur felt as he tried to outrun the car chasing him, the boy felt a new sensation growing deep inside. The memories flooded in as quickly as his feet guided him down the sidewalk. Arthur clenched his teeth as vexation overpowered fear. He thought he had taken care of that bastard the night before; but, clearly, he didn't, and the fury he felt caused his hands to mold into fists.

Arthur saw that the street was a few steps away and he sharply turned to the left to continue running. He would have been able to sprint to the next sidewalk if the red car hadn't screeched to a halt right in front of him. This didn't scare him as much as the loud honks of its horn did, but it faded away as the rage in his soul told him: "Do what must be done."

The man driving the car popped out of the driver side door and slammed it shut as he yelled, "Arthur!"

Arthur crouched down low and awaited the confrontation. When he saw his father David march towards him, he, in the same manner as he attacked Binky Barnes so many days ago, charged towards the man and delivered a powerful blow to his lower right rib.

David cried out in pain and he fell onto the solid asphalt. He clutched the area where Arthur's fist had struck. It wasn't that much of a hard punch, but, given that they were heading straight towards each other and that his son had dashed towards him, it was a very powerful hit.

Arthur did not regret his own action against his own father; instead, he stomped up to him and proceeded to release his anger with one furious punch after another.

Naturally, David tried to summon his strength to at least attempt to fight off his son, to try and tell him to stop, but it was hopeless. Despite the obvious age difference between them, the young aardvark was able to dominant the older aardvark in a brutal manner.

Just when he could take it no more, David realized that Arthur had stopped attacking him. He took the opportunity to regain his role as Arthur's father and prepared to do all he could to get his son into the car. But, when he got up, another character stepped forward and his fist struck the left side of David's face, causing him to fall back onto the rock-solid road. As the man moaned in pain, he heard a teenage boy's voice say, "Nice work, Arthur; your skills are getting better and better!"

There was no vocal reply from Arthur but David did hear them run away from him, their footsteps gradually decreasing in volume. After he was certain that they were gone, David struggled to his feet and reached out to the handle of the car door. When he was in the driver's seat and he had closed the door, the beaten aardvark drove carefully down the street.

During his drive home, David was overcome by anguish from the assault conducted by his son and the fact that one of his own children would do such a thing to him. He couldn't comprehend that the child he loved and looked after would attack him like a savage beast. He wasn't sure how his wife would take the news. Jane's reaction would probably be a mixture of horror and outrage, and she would solely put the blame on Arthur, even when she was greatly concerned about the major decline of his mental health. To him, there was no need to debate whether the relationship between them and the 8-year old boy who was Arthur Read would be restored or hopelessly lost forever.

David silently drove down every street until he was at the home he shared with his wife and children. He didn't care what was yet to come, he just wanted to lay down and try to forget all that happened between him and Arthur. He didn't care that Arthur had gone off with a random stranger- he no longer cared about him. It was unthinkable for a father to neglect one of his children, but David wouldn't care who would bring up the argument against him; he knew that Arthur would eventually return home, just as he did for the past eight days.


	10. Chapter 10

Buster had wanted this to happen. From the moment he heard Binky tell others that he was arrested for committing an assault on Arthur, Buster had made it his ambition to gather up all of Arthur's former friends so he could persuade them that the aardvark was slipping into insanity and that the only way to prevent any more horrendous events from occurring was to rehabilitate him by providing him with the kindness that was lost more than a week ago. He was acquainted with the fact that the majority of kids he would meet with were convinced that Arthur was a savage monster. He also knew all too well that if nothing was done to help him, that fact would be pure in accuracy. Despite what any of the other kids would say in order to protest the idea, Buster was determined to assemble as many kids as possible and have them all listen to him and his plan to repair their connection with Arthur and to give him assistance in his time of need.

Buster had started his mission alone. He was confronted by his friends time and time again who demanded that he kept his distance from Arthur, saying that the aardvark deserved to be shunned for rebuffing to express regret for using violence against his younger sister for what they called a "simple mistake". Buster thought it would only be himself who would go out of his way to do whatever he could to help guide his best friend out of the abyss of rage that was swallowing him whole. Fortunately, one of the oppressors, Francine Frensky, had become suspicious about Arthur's whereabouts and she agreed to join Buster in his plan. Another friend of his, Alan Powers, also known as the Brain by all, also became a part of it when he expressed his opinions about the past events and what the future could bring upon Arthur. Now that he had two people on his side, Buster felt confident that he would be able to induce everyone that they need to come together and help their friend whose mental health was deteriorating day by day.

Standing on the top of a knoll at the park, Buster glanced at the group in front of him. Over the course of two days, Francine and the Brain talked to everyone they knew and invited them to come to the park after school to hear Buster's plea for help. Despite all the hard work they put in, the only kids who showed up were Muffy Crosswire, Fern Walters, a cat named Sue Ellen Armstrong, and a moose named George Lundgren. Buster was disappointed that only four other people turned up to listen to him, but that didn't matter; he was glad that at least someone showed up and he hoped that the number of people in his clan would rise to seven.

Muffy, Fern, and Sue Ellen were clearly uninterested in the topic of helping Arthur. George, on the other hand, appeared more willing to debate the issue rather than to simply accept the reason everyone believed was true. Buster noticed this and the confidence he felt grew stronger. It would be easy to grab the attention of the moose. It would take time to convince the girls, but he was sure that Francine would support him and argue that Arthur was in trouble and desperately needed their help. As long as he, Francine, and the Brain presented a judicious argument to the others, there would be no doubt as to whether the number of people in his clan would rise to seven or remain at three.

Buster was ready to begin but Francine spoke before he could. "Does anyone know where Binky is?" she asked everyone. "Brain, didn't you talk to him yesterday?"

"Yes I did," the Brain replied. "Unfortunately, he said he couldn't make it."

"What for?" Francine inquired.

"I don't know, he didn't say much," said the Brain.

"Excuse me," Buster said in a loud voice. "Can I have everyone's attention."

The six kids gazed at Buster. Muffy, Fern, and Sue Ellen stared at him, their facial expressions were a mixture of boredom and displeasure, while George waited patiently for the rabbit to speak. Francine and the Brain did just the same as the moose.

"Before I begin," Buster began; "I would like to thank you all for coming here on such short notice. I'm sure that you don't want to be here right now, but what I have to say is very important and will determine the future of us all."

Buster's words caught George's interest almost instantly, but the three girls next to him remained uninterested. The trio was silent until Fern told Buster: "What you have to say will have no impact on any of us."

Her statement was met with the vocal agreements of Muffy and Sue Ellen.

Francine turned to Fern and said, "Actually, Fern, it does- it will have a huge impact on everybody if we don't do something about it."

"About what?!" Muffy roared. "You actually think any of us would just change our minds about Arthur?! Why would anybody in their right mind want to help that demon?!"

"Because he's going insane!" the Brain shouted.

"He already is insane!" Sue Ellen snapped.

"That's enough!" Buster yelled, grabbing everyone's attention once more. "Can we just get through this without any more arguments, please?!"

The crowd of six fell silent. While they obeyed Buster's demand for everyone to be quiet, it was evident that the three girls who opposed to help Arthur at all were now furious. Since there were no further complaints, the rabbit knew it was okay to begin his speech.

"Now, as we all know," Buster said; "there had been a major dilemma among us about our former friend, Arthur Read. Nearly two weeks ago, as Arthur told me himself, he had finished work on a model of a plane that broke the sound barrier and went to his kitchen to get a snack. His 4-year old sister D.W. came up to him and said he built the model wrong and it didn't fly. When he went to investigate the crash scene, Arthur found that his model plane was totally destroyed and D.W. continued to rant about how he built it wrong; this prompted Arthur to punch her in the shoulder. He was subsequently banned from watching TV for a week and, after he told us about this, we all shunned him for what he had done."

Everyone nodded confirming that what Buster had told them was true. Muffy, Fern, and Sue Ellen muttered their opinions about how Arthur was immoral to commit such vile actions against his own sister.

"Not more than a day after he hit his sister," Buster continued; "another friend of ours, Binky Barnes, was dared by his friends, a group called the Tough Customers, to prove himself strong and fearless by punching Arthur. He did so, only to be attacked by Arthur. The police came and arrested Binky on the charge of starting a fight in public; Arthur however fled as soon as the police broke up the fight."

Buster was about to say something else when Muffy suddenly spoke. "That coward would run from the police!" she retorted.

"He should've gave himself up on the spot!" Sue Ellen added.

"I know you might get mad at me for saying this," George said timidly; "but I have to disagree with what you're saying. I do agree that it's wrong to hit someone for something small they did but, honestly, I don't think Binky was right to hit Arthur just because he was dared to."

"That's right," said the Brain. "What happened that day was not Arthur's fault at all. From what we've been told, Binky punched Arthur because he was challenged by his other friends to prove if he was worthy of being a Tough Customer or not. This was an act of peer pressure, and, considering that he was unaware of any of it, the actions Arthur committed were purely that of self-defense."

Almost instantly, Muffy, Fern, and Sue Ellen objected the Brain's statement. The voices of the three girls came out all at once in a thunderous tumult. Francine and the Brain tried to quiet the trio but all attempts were fruitless against the fury of those who despised Arthur for his act of savagery.

Enraged that everyone was arguing bitterly again, Buster screamed at the top of his voice: "ENOUGH ALREADY!"

Once more, the six kids below him ceased arguing and turned their attention to Buster. Just like before, Muffy, Fern, and Sue Ellen were mad- only this time, they were more enraged than he was. The rabbit was on the verge of losing his temper, but he knew that he had to be wise and calm. If he used anger, he would most likely stir up more fury and that would end their meeting and it would only be him, Francine, and the Brain left to devise a plan to rehabilitate Arthur themselves.

After a moment to calm himself down, Buster spoke again. "We are not here to talk about how stupid Arthur was to punch his sister," he said, his voice was still laced with rage. "The point of us being here is so we can discuss what we can do to help him."

"If Arthur needs help, he can see a doctor," Muffy said flatly.

"And who's gonna take him to a doctor? His parents?" Francine asked the orangutan. "I doubt they want to help him either."

Everyone turned their heads to stare at Francine in surprise.

Even though she was in shock as well, Muffy still refused to accept what she was hearing and said, "That's ridiculous! Arthur's parents wouldn't just stop caring altogether!"

"I'm sure his mother still cares, but his father doesn't at all," Francine replied.

Silence fell once again.

Francine knew that they wanted an explanation, so she told them why she said what she did. "A while back, Buster and I went to Arthur's house to try and talk to him," she explained. "When we got there, his mother told us he wasn't at home. That was the same answer Buster and I got whenever when went there. And yesterday, I went to Arthur's house alone and his dad answered the door. When I asked him if Arthur was home, he looked angry. I asked him again and he said 'He just isn't home' and slammed the door. That wasn't what got my attention. What was odd was that his face was bruised."

Her story stirred up concern and curiosity in an instant. The five kids in front of her started murmuring to each other, asking one another about what they heard.

Eventually, Sue Ellen spoke. "Are you saying Arthur and his dad had a fight?" she inquired.

"I'm not sure," Francine responded, shaking her head. "To be honest, though, I think that they might've had some sort of argument and it got physical."

"That's terrible," said George. "This is just horrible. First he hits his sister; then he attacks Binky; and then he beats up his own dad. Is Arthur really losing his mind?"

"Unfortunately so," the Brain replied. "Due to all the negative actions we have committed against him, Arthur's mental health is slowly declining and he may start doing things that may not only threaten his life but also put him at risk of going to prison."

"You mean he would try doing drugs?" Fern inquired in a nervous tone of voice.

"That is a major possibility," the Brain told her. "However none of us have a clear idea of Arthur's whereabouts."

"And all that's been told to me is that he's working with Mr. Haney on some sort of project," Buster added.

For the first time it seemed, Muffy, Fern, and Sue Ellen showed actual emotion to the situation that they had ignored since the trouble began. The trio believed that Arthur was simply over-reacting and demanded attention and sympathy for his destroyed model plane. After hearing all that was said by Francine, Buster, and the Brain, they finally realised that the aardvark who everyone considered as the enemy was, in reality, suffering because of how ignorant they were to how much pain they inflicted on him.

After what felt like a half hour of complete silence, Muffy spoke up. "Even though I hate Arthur for what he did," she said; "I don't want him to kill himself, especially by a drug overdose."

Fern and Sue Ellen nodded, visibly ashamed of themselves.

Buster descended the knoll and said, "I'm glad that you all understand that Arthur is in serious trouble, and, if we all band together, we can solve this problem and help him."

"But we don't know where Arthur is," George told Buster. "How are we going to help him if he's somewhere else?"

"That's why I wanted to assemble a group to handle this situation," Buster stated. "If I did this by myself, there would be too much stress."

At that moment, Binky jogged by the crowd. As he passed them, he said, "Hi, guys!"

Everyone snapped their heads in the direction of Binky and Francine ran after him. "Where have you been?!" she demanded when she caught up with the bulldog.

"Look, I'm sorry that I missed Buster's speech or whatever," Binky responded; "but I have to get in shape and I can't be bothered."

"You're getting in shape for what?" Muffy asked.

"My chance to prove I'm a pure Tough Customer," Binky announced proudly.

"Which is?" Buster asked.

"I don't know what it is yet," Binky explained. "All I know is that I have to go to some place called 'Tony's Sport Arena' and, if I succeed in the game, I'll be back in the club!"

"What game?" George questioned. "And where's Tony's Sport Area?"

Binky, obviously irritated by everyone's questions, got up in George's face and said, "Look, I don't need to be standing around answering stupid questions! I have bigger things to attend to! Arthur is out of the question!"

As they watched Binky jog away, Buster said aloud: "Now that was really odd."

"What kind of game is so important that Binky has to make a big deal out of it?" Francine asked.

"Whatever it is, it must be a game that is very intense," the Brain replied; "and Binky's going to stop at nothing until he is a club member again."

Buster sighed and shook his head. Now that there were two issues they were facing, the next few weeks were going to be both difficult and dramatic.


	11. Chapter 11

"Come on, Arthur, keep going! Keep attacking! You're showing full potential right now! Keep it up and victory will be yours!"

Sharkbite's shouts of encouragement echoed in the boxing gym as Arthur continued to punch swiftly and fiercely at him. Everytime the aardvark's sparring gloves connected with the rabbit's focus mitts, both boys could feel the intensity of each blow. This pleased Sharkbite immensely and Arthur had never felt so alive in all of his young life. Although it cost him a great amount of energy to endure the lesson- the sweat on his forehead and his loud panting made that clear to anyone who would notice it -, Arthur was hyper and displayed no sign of wanting to stop. Considering that he was a couple steps away from becoming a true boxer and that the tournament was three days away, the young aardvark was determined to make sure he was one hundred percent ready to fight his future opponents.

What delighted Sharkbite the most was how stunning Arthur's moves were. Even though he had full confidence in his little pupil, he was a bit anxious at first to enter an 8-year old in a boxing tournament, especially if he was to face other kids who were professionals. However, Sharkbite was right to dismiss his fears as soon as he saw how fast Arthur was able to learn the three main categories of boxing techniques: stances, punches, and defences. Not only that, the rabbit was astonished by how the aardvark would act during certain parts of the day's lesson. When Sharkbite was instructing him how to execute a new move perfectly, Arthur was quiet and his eyes followed his instructor's fists and arms, taking as many mental notes as possible so he knew exactly what to do in the ring. When he was ordered to duplicate each technique, it seemed that Arthur had built up a great quantity of energy and strength during the short lecture and he attacked like a savage but intelligent beast. What was even more remarkable was that Sharkbite would frequently change the position of his focus mitts and Arthur would hit the palm of the gloves without any difficulty. At that moment, it was clear to anyone watching that 8-year old Arthur Read, against all odds, had been molded into a tough, smart, and fearless boxer.

Off to the side where the heavy bags were, Austin and Kyle stood alongside one another and eyed Sharkbite and Arthur in disapprobation. Neither of the young muscular men could believe that a person Arthur's age could have gotten as far into his training as he did. At the same time, they disapproved everything that had happened so far; they hated how Sharkbite could bring a child under the age of ten into a boxing gym and teach him the hazardous sport; they were disgusted that Sharkbite only cared about the positives of training a kid how to fight and not the harmful effects that it would have on his mind; and above all else, they couldn't understand how Sharkbite could get away with all this. Austin and Kyle knew that the minimum age for someone to compete in boxing was eleven. Arthur was three years underage. They had heard from Derek that Sharkbite had entered Arthur in the tournament eight days ago and that they had set up a wager on the aardvark. It was unknown at the moment if Arthur would win or lose but, as they could see, he did not appear in the position to lose or back down.

Kyle turned his head away from the scene and said to Austin: "This is a tragedy waiting to happen, isn't it?"

Austin, who was still watching Arthur and Sharkbite, nodded. "That kid is gonna be torn limb from limb," he replied.

"Do you think Mark will realize his mistake before it's too late?" Kyle asked.

"I'm praying to God that he does," Austin responded. "Otherwise, Mark will be facing manslaughter charges."

"Will that be the case in court?"

"I'm not sure but, if I was Mark, I'd stop this whole fiasco and pull Arthur the hell out of the ring."

They then heard Sharkbite say, "Okay, Arthur, you can stop," and the punching ceased. Austin and Kyle gazed back at the boys in the boxing ring and saw Arthur hunched over as he quietly panted. Sharkbite handed him a towel and he said, "Nice job. Take five."

Arthur nodded and both he and Sharkbite left the boxing ring. Arthur crawled under the ropes to get out while Sharkbite climbed over the ropes. While the aardvark went to get a drink of water, the rabbit took off his focus mitts and placed them on a nearby stool. He then rubbed his hands in a towel so they wouldn't be too moist.

Austin and Kyle took the opportunity to confront Sharkbite and get him to see the error in his vision. They removed their bag gloves and marched towards the rabbit. Sharkbite noticed them approaching and stood up straight. "What overused complaint do you guys have now?" he inquired after emitting a grunt.

Kyle crossed his arms. "You really think you can get away with this, Fumbine?" he questioned angrily. "Do you honestly think that that little kid is going to get you anywhere?!"

"Would you relax?!" Sharkbite retorted. "You don't have to worry about him! I've got everything under control!"

"Bullshit!" Austin yelled. "You're literally throwing him off a cliff by teaching him how to box!"

Sharkbite quietly growled to himself. He then asked, "And your point is?"

"Our point is that kid could get himself killed!" Austin stated.

"No he won't," said Sharkbite. "Didn't either of you see him earlier? He was attacking me like a lion! He's learning faster than I thought he would!"

"That still doesn't mean he'll win the tournament!" Kyle argued.

"Of course he'll win, don't be an ass!" Sharkbite roared.

Austin and Kyle were ready to jump onto Sharkbite and knock him unconscious- they had already had enough of him refusing to listen to reason. Instead of allowing their feral emotions to control them, the dog and rat decided to carry on with fighting verbally.

After a quick deep breath, Austin calmly spoke to Sharkbite. "Look, Mark, Kyle and I know that you want to have a powerful boxer to show off to the world- we believe you also want a share of the money he'll make -, but for God's sake, please listen to us: there's a high chance that this won't work."

"You always say and think negatively," Sharkbite snorted. "Haven't you ever thought about the positives?"

"We've tried to come up with reasons why training a kid to box is a good thing," Kyle said. "Although it's good that the kid will know how to defend himself, sending him into a boxing ring to go up against others is a terrible idea."

Sharkbite snorted again.

"Seriously, Mark, Arthur could get killed out there," said Austin.

"Oh, stop exaggerating!" Sharkbite replied. "There's no way Arthur could wind up dead. He's a pro!"

At that moment, Arthur returned from the water fountain and joined the group.

"Well, he's good from what we saw earlier," Austin told Sharkbite; "but can he really prove it?"

"Of course I can!" Arthur said. "No matter who it is, I'll never back down!"

Sharkbite smirked at Austin and Kyle, who glanced at each other and then back to him and Arthur. "Alright, Mark," Kyle said to Sharkbite; "if you and your little fighter want to prove a point, you're gonna need someone to go against him."

Sharkbite nodded as his grin expanded. He narrowed his eyes as he stared directly at Austin and Kyle with a sinister smile.

The dog and rat instantly knew what insane idea the rabbit had come up with. "You madman!" Kyle yelled at Sharkbite. "There is no way in hell that Austin or I would ever fight against a kid!"

"Oh, come on, guys, it won't be so bad," Sharkbite replied coolly. "Like I said, Arthur here is fantastic, and I promise he'll go easy on you."

"Intimidation won't work on us!" Kyle snarled. "You know that, don't you?!"

"Are either of you gonna fight Arthur or what?!" Sharkbite demanded.

At last, Austin lost full control of his temper. He took one step towards Sharkbite and pounded one fist against his chest. Sharkbite staggered back and his back collided into the side of the boxing ring. "SHUT THE HELL UP!" Austin shouted at the top of his voice.

As Austin stood over the rabbit with an incensed look on his face, Sharkbite slowly stepped towards him. In spite of him being harshly pushed away by means of a punch, the rabbit's mouth was still curled into a smile and his eyes still held the same menacing glare a villain would give to a hero. Austin and Kyle, even when they continued to return the glare, grew more afraid by the second, the level of fear gradually increasing and it caused their tenacious stare to lessen with each passing second.

Sharkbite stared directly at Austin and said in a malevolent voice: "You seem very angry, Austin; almost like you want to kill me. I think we can make this work."

Despite the vexation he felt because of the rabbit's pestering, Austin quickly comprehended what Sharkbite was referring to. "You're not thinking what I think you're think, are you?!" he asked angrily and hastily.

"Oh, I am," Sharkbite replied.

"Forget it, Mark, I am not fighting a little kid!" Austin yelled, shaking his head violently.

"Oh, yes you are!" Sharkbite shouted in a voice both enthusiastic and maniacal. He spun his head to the aardvark. "Arthur, get in the ring!" he ordered.

"You got it, Sharkbite!" Arthur replied.

Arthur ecstatically made his way back into the boxing ring and Sharkbite closely followed him. Austin went in the opposite direction to fetch a pair of sparring gloves for himself. Just like Sharkbite with Arthur, Kyle accompanied his friend after finding a clean mouth-guard for him to use.

"Mark has finally gone off the deep end!" Austin quietly growled to Kyle as he slid on the sparring gloves he found. "His time in the joint will be a simulation of his afterlife in Hell!"

"Take it easy, Austin," Kyle said. "There's still a good chance that we can still get Mark to see reality. All you got to do is knock Arthur down a few times until he gives up and-"

"Kyle, are you nuts?!" Austin inquired through clenched teeth. "Fighting Arthur is what Mark wants! He wants to prove that he is a good boxer!"

"I know," Kyle responded; "but still, we must show Mark that his vision of the future is wrong."

Austin growled and thought for a moment. He was aware that Kyle was on his side of the argument about Arthur being trained to fight other kids and that they would stop at nothing until they fully got their point across to Sharkbite. Austin never imagined that it would mean he would have to fight the 8-year old aardvark the rabbit was training. As he had stated a few seconds ago, that was what Sharkbite wanted him to do. He couldn't comprehend why the rabbit would want this. The idea of a teenager fighting against a child who was more than five years younger than him was entirely fiendish, and Austin and Kyle were absolutely not oblivious to the opinion- they openly and passionately opposed Sharkbite's plan to get rich by using an 8-year old who was willing to get himself hurt, the thought itself was both uncanny and concerning for there would never be a child that age who would like the notion of gaining wealth and fame by boxing. But somehow, Arthur was that particular child, and it was made the objective of Austin and Kyle to stop him before it was too late. In order to do so however, the aardvark's beliefs and emotions towards his instructor's vision of the future had to be degraded by all means.

Austin sighed and looked back up at Kyle. "You're right," he said. "We have to stop Mark and Arthur before the worst happens to them, but I don't like the idea of fighting against Arthur."

"Look, I don't want to fight him either," Kyle told his friend; "but one of us has to do it to show Mark he's wrong, and he chose you."

Austin gave Kyle a look of severe disfavor. The rat acknowledged the dog's objection but said to him: "You don't have to be so harsh on Arthur. All you have to do is be a little bit more stronger than him. It should be completely easy, so there's no need to worry."

"I still don't like having to do this," Austin replied.

"Let's just stop Mark as soon as we can," Kyle said before gently ushering Austin to the boxing ring.

Austin popped the mouth-guard into his mouth and slid himself under the ropes while Kyle stood on the steps that elevated him so he would be on level with the platform. Arthur, who wasn't wearing his glasses, and Sharkbite were on the opposite side of the ring, patiently waiting for the dog and rat to arrive. As soon as Austin stood up on his own two feet, he and Arthur approached each other and stopped when they were at a distance of two feet. Sharkbite still had on an ominous smirk which unnerved Kyle. Austin did his best not to notice, but he did and was just as agitated as his friend.

"Alright," Sharkbite said loudly; "are we ready to begin?"

Arthur and Austin replied by nodding.

"Remember, guys," Kyle told the dog and aardvark; "this is going to be a clean fight! That means there will be no headbutting, no spitting, no biting, no kicking, and no hitting below the belt! I'm hoping that you'll remember that, Arthur!"

"Don't test him, Kyle!" Sharkbite snapped. "He knows what he can and can't do in the ring!"

"We'll see about that," Kyle responded. "We'll see just how good your little-"

"SHUT UP!" Sharkbite roared. "LET'S GET IT ON!"

Austin and Arthur steadily raised their glove-covered fists up to their chests and sharply gazed at one another, awaiting for the first boxer to strike and to ignite the fight. Both boys knew that no matter what, they had to keep an eye on the opposing boxer. If either of them looked away for even half a second, it would give their opponent the opportunity to deliver a fierce blow to the side of their face. They were on full alert, but both competitors were becoming immensely impatient.

Sharkbite, who was now as irritated as Arthur and Austin, finally snapped. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" he yelled. "FIGHT!"

Arthur instantly complied and his fist struck Austin below the left side of his ribcage. Austin staggered back and emitted a groan which sounded more like a vicious growl. This forced him to attack the aardvark with a jab, but Arthur managed to block the blow with his arm.

For the next three minutes, Arthur and Austin were locked in a fierce battle. Both boxers did not stop fighting as they knew that it was over until one of them was on the ground and the other was standing in victory. Austin and Kyle were sure that it would be easy only because of the size difference between Austin and Arthur; they thought that they would be successful in showing Sharkbite that it would impossible for Arthur to fight against other boxers. Instead, Austin found himself in a strenuous fight with his 8-year old competitor and he, the taller and stronger fighter, was losing.

From his position on the bottom left corner of the ring, Kyle watched as Austin was ferociously pounded over and over again by a savage Arthur. The rat was horrified at the sight. It wasn't that his friend was getting beaten up by a kid; the reason for Kyle's shock was the realization that Sharkbite had completely transformed a young, good-natured boy into an uncaring, violent boxer. He and Austin wanted so much to avoid this, but now that Arthur was battering Austin with the force of a heartless brute, Kyle sensed utter failure within him.

Sharkbite watched the fight with great satisfaction. The long week of exercise and lectures had finally paid off. It was incredible that Arthur was able to learn everything about boxing without any trouble, and now that his little pupil was demonstrating how intelligent, swift, and unconquerable he had become over the course of his training, Sharkbite couldn't be more prouder in his life than all of the wonderful events that occurred in the space of seventeen years. Seeing Arthur take on Austin both professionally and passionately gave him the amount of pleasure as he would if he became the King of the World. It was the level of happiness every man, woman, and child wished they could achieve at least once and cherish it forever.

In the final moment, Austin managed to knock Arthur onto the floor and he did all he could to pin the aardvark down and end the fight. He was almost successful but Arthur delivered the final blow straight into the center of Austin's chest. The dog clutched his chest and fell to his left; then he flopped onto his back and spat out his mouthguard to gasp for air. Sharkbite slowly counted to ten. When Austin failed to get back up, the brutal fight was over. Arthur had won.

Kyle rushed to his friend while Sharkbite walked coolly to Arthur with a towel in one hand and his glasses in the other. "Well done, Arthur," Sharkbite said with pride, handing Arthur the towel. "You proved to me and these goofballs that you have all it takes to be one of the best boxers in the world."

Arthur took out his mouthguard and replied, "I always knew I could from the start. I've never felt so great in my life!"

"And not a scratch on you," Sharkbite remarked as he surveyed Arthur's face, clean of any bruise or swelling. "That's really impressive."

"You can say that again," Arthur said as he rubbed the towel against his forehead. "I never knew I had it in me until I started boxing."

"Totally true," Sharkbite replied. He gave Arthur his glasses and then turned to Austin and Kyle. Austin moaned as Kyle wiped the sweat and blood off of his face for him as he was immensely weak from the fight. "So, what do you bitches have to say for yourselves, huh?" Sharkbite asked smugly.

Kyle looked up at Sharkbite with abhorrence in his eyes. He was just about ready to murder the rabbit right there and then. Despite his urge to fulfill his great desire, Austin spoke up before he could act. "What can I even say?!" the dog growled. "Can't you see what you've done?!"

"I've done nothing wrong," Sharkbite responded. "If there was anyone who did something wrong, it would be you and Kyle who talked trash about Arthur."

"That's the point!" Austin snapped. "You turned Arthur into a monster and you don't seem to care about it!"

Sharkbite only rolled his eyes.

"You just don't care, do you, Mark?!" Kyle snarled. "Haven't you given a second thought about how this could affect him in the future?! Well, do you?!"

"Sharkbite's done nothing wrong to me!" Arthur said in his instructor's defense. "He's helping me make a new name for myself! I'm gonna start life in a new direction, and no one's going to stop me or Sharkbite!"

"You shouldn't be around this guy, Arthur!" Kyle yelled. "He's sending you the wrong message! You may think that fighting is going to give you fame and fortune, but it won't! Just think about what your friends will think! More importantly, what will your parents say!"

Arthur's fists and teeth clenched tightly, trying to keep the rage back. When he was able to reduce the anger inside him, the aardvark growled, "I don't need them to boss me around!"

"They won't boss you around!" Kyle stated sternly. "They care about you! All of them!"

"I have no one to care about!" Arthur snapped, stepping toward Austin and Kyle. "Everyone in my life hates me! Weeks ago, my sister broke my model airplane and she blamed me for it! What I did was right but they all took her side! Sharkbite gave me a chance to put it all in the past and that's the solution I'm going for!"

Kyle wanted to continue the argument, but Arthur's statement about why he was listening to Sharkbite forced him into silence. The recognition of complete failure dominated his belief that he and Austin could help Arthur realize that boxing was not the best thing to do in life, and now, it was evident that there was nothing else he or his defeated friend could do to stop him from entering the boxing tournament.

"Listen to yourself, kid," Austin said quietly and sternly, staring directly at Arthur. "You just told us that you're willing to get yourself killed. You're only thinking about yourself! You're asking for-"

Austin couldn't finish. Sharkbite stepped forward and brutally slapped the dog. "You just keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you!" he spat. "Words are more effective than punches, so if you have nothing good to say, you will stay quiet unless you want your ass kicked a second time!"

Austin and Kyle did not utter a single word. Instead, Kyle helped his battered pal up and they exited the ring. Sharkbite, satisfied that the fighting was over, motioned for Arthur to follow him out of the ring and up the stairs. Arthur obeyed after removing his sparring gloves.

Once they were fully changed and out of the locker room, Arthur and Sharkbite departed from the boxing gym and headed home. No words were spoken to Derek as he was busy on the phone, but they joke to each other outside that the bear was gazing through a pornographic magazine while he was speaking to the person on the other end. "He really needs to stop looking at photos of undressed women," Sharkbite said. "And that's something you need to remember in your later years, Arthur: a dirty mind will lead you down the wrong path."

Arthur nodded and parted ways from Sharkbite. Once he was home, he would take a much-needed shower and get an immediate start on his homework. He was going to make sure that no one- not his parents or his friends -would stand in his way of becoming the best boxer in the state, if not the entire world, and, if it was necessary, he would use the new techniques he learned from Sharkbite to put them in their proper place.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would like to acknowledge something as I end this chapter. There were two comments I received from the same person (whose name I shall not mention) who stated that the way I characterized Arthur was a "huge mistake". I want to make it clear that this story was created to display the negative effect of violence on children, as is seen with Arthur agreeing to go through boxing lessons with someone he barely knows. I understand that sometimes a fanfic author would do some things that fans would passionately disapprove of, but this is a story where certain elements of a character have to be changed, whether slightly or majorly, for the point the author's trying to prove. Please understand that the purpose of my story is to provide a valid lesson on using violence against others; and, most importantly, I would like the person to know that the best way to release their feelings through the Internet is to think before typing. I won't say much since I found out who they were, but I will say that it's important to learn from their mistakes.


	12. Chapter 12

A full moon hung over Elwood City in a dark blue sky and was accompanied by thousands of white stars, all the size of tiny dots. A majority of the buildings throughout the area had lights on, signifying that there were a lot of people still awake, most likely watching a specific show on TV, whether it be a sitcom, a crime drama, or a long-awaited game of gridiron football. The people who weren't in bed were adults. Some of them weren't even in their homes, and were instead joining their friends or relatives at a restaurant, bar, or the park enjoying the night while it was young. The only adults who were sleeping were the parents of young children, ranging from the age of three months to ten years. To put it simply, everything was normal in Elwood City as far as anyone could see and hear.

Arthur was sure that a great serenity was hanging over the city. He was certain that his parents and sisters were at home in bed. They weren't worried sick about were he was; he specifically told them that he would spend time at a friend's house after school and he would be home as soon as he could. As he expected, his gullible parents bought the lie and thought nothing else of it. This pleased Arthur immensely as it did Sharkbite- neither of them wanted any pest showing up and ruining Arthur's chance to be dubbed the Youngest Boxer in the United States or any other positive title.

Although he was excited about competing in the boxing tournament, Arthur felt a hint of anger deep within him. Upon their arrival to the sports arena, he and Sharkbite noticed that his name was on the giant board outside the building that advertised the event. Under the title of the tournament were the names of the young boxers who would be participating in the competition and were already known to be professional. Arthur's name was under a title that read: "FEATURING SPECIAL NEWCOMERS". The aardvark was proud to see his name on the board, but the sensation of pride was instantly drained when he saw the name of another new competitor. The name was not only that of a character he knew all too well, it was the name of the kid who had attempted to suffocate him long ago.

Under the name of Arthur Read was the name of Binky Barnes.

Arthur simply couldn't believe his eyes. His mind absolutely could not accept what he has just seen. He clenched his fists as he growled through his teeth, also clenched so hard they were sure to crack.

Sharkbite took notice of Arthur's sudden change in moods and put a hand on his shoulder. "Is this Binky Barnes the kid who tried to murder you?" he inquired.

"He is," Arthur responded; his words were spiced with rage.

"I'd figured he would come back for revenge," Sharkbite stated. "If you're put in the ring with him, show him no mercy! You won't be able to choke him like he did with you, but you've had proper training. You can take that runt down!"

"Yes I can!" Arthur hollered in a confident voice.

Sharkbite guided Arthur though the sports arena and into a special room where they would wait for Arthur's first round. The 8-year old boxer was amazed by all of the memorabilia that was displayed in the main lobby. It had more photographs, commemorative plaques, and trophies than the boxing gym did. The room where Arthur and Sharkbite would be staying in for their breaks during the duration of the tournament had an impressive design as well. With his eyes focused on his new surroundings, the outrage Arthur felt when he learned that Binky was also in the competition completely diminished, and he prepared himself for the tough fighting ahead of him.

The actual event didn't start until 8 PM. By then, the arena was filled with boxing fans, impatiently waiting for the tournament to begin. When it finally did, a middle-aged monkey seated with a much younger rat at a table close to the boxing ring spoke to get the audience settled.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the hour has finally come!" the monkey said into the microphone of his headset, causing everyone in the bleachers to cheer. "I'm Wayne Hales!"

"And I'm Jeffrey Mark-Collins!" said the rat in the same tone of voice. "We're here live at Tony's Sport Arena in downtown Elwood City for the fifth annual Youth Boxing Tournament! Tonight we will see six young and daring boxers step into the ring before us and battle for the grand prize of one thousand dollars!"

"To be honest, Jeff," Wayne told his partner; "I thought that the prize would be higher and more competitors would come, but I guess that's because of budget cuts; eh?"

"That might be true, Wayne," Jeffrey replied; "but we still got our boxers here this evening and they are ready to fight for not only the money, but for the title of Best Young Boxer in the State!"

Jeffrey went on to introduce the names of the six boxers in the tournament and Wayne would give a small comment about each participant. The four boxers who had a well-known reputation were the first to be presented to the audience who would respond with whistles and cheers of all volumes. When Arthur and Binky were introduced to the crowd, the ovation was low at first but gradually rose as footage of the two new boxers was shown. The major difference was, the video of Arthur had a noticeably stronger acclamation. Sharkbite heard the audience when he left the room to take a peek at the packed arena and, when he became acquainted with the fact that everyone wanted to see Arthur brawl, he immediately returned to Arthur to tell him the news.

"Everyone already loves you, Arthur!" Sharkbite exclaimed as he entered the room. "They've only seen a video of your training and they've instantly fell in love with you!"

"Really?" Arthur asked in awe.

"I'm not kidding!" Sharkbite replied. "Didn't you hear the roar of excitement out there as they said your name? This is what I've always told you about! You my friend are definitely going places!"

Sharkbite's words injected more gratification into Arthur. The aardvark smiled as he began to imagine what the future had in store for him. He saw himself in a lavish mansion wearing a championship belt around his waist and surrounded by photos of him standing victorious in a boxing ring with his opponent lying on the floor bruised and unconscious. The good life was not so far away, but Arthur knew that, in order to get there, he had to be focused on defeating other boxers in various tournaments; and tonight was no exception.

Arthur started to mentally prepare himself for his first round. He took calm breaths and at intervals he said, "Focus, Arthur. Focus on the fame and fortune ahead of you. None of those bozos stand a chance against you. You don't need anyone to pin you down. You are number one. You will always be number one."

As Arthur was busy with his meditation excercise, the first official round of the tournament was well underway. Binky Barnes and another boxer were punching and dodging each other's blows to the very best of their abilities. All the while, the people in the stands watched as the two young boxers fought, cheering and encouraging one of them to knock the other out cold. Each round was split into three parts and, by the end of the third, Binky stood in the ring while his opponent laid flat on the floor, his right eye a bit swollen from the untold number of times Binky's gloved fist had struck.

Everyone in the crowd did not appreciate how particularly brutal Binky was. Although boxing was a very violent sport, the bulldog had attacked his rival in an exceptionally scathing fashion than most boxers would and left the young rabbit severely hurt. As the other competitor was led away with the help of his trainer and a couple medical professionals, Binky climbed out of the ring and went with Rattles to their room. They were bombarded with a negative reception from the crowd, filled with boos, insults, and even a few items thrown at them.

Binky, feeling quite afraid of the response he received, turned to Rattles and said accusingly: "You said this would show everybody how tough I am!"

"It is," Rattles replied.

"But everyone doesn't seem to like me!" Binky whined.

"Binky, you're losing your touch of toughness!" Rattles snapped at the bulldog. "You have to remember that, to be a Tough Customer, you must have an indestructible will to show your enemies that you mean big trouble if they mess with you! You really let us down by getting beat up by Arthur! This is your chance to show us if you truly deserve to be a Tough Customer again! Do you understand that?!"

"I do!" Binky sobbed.

"So stop your whining and man up!" Rattles ordered as escorted Binky away for a break.

The immense outcry of Binky's vicious fight had finally toned down as Wayne and Jeffrey announced the next boxing match between Arthur and the second renowned boxer. As the aardvark entered the arena accompanied by the rabbit who trained him, the boos and jeers changed into cheers and cries of motivation. Arthur wasn't wearing his glasses as he did not want them to fall and get broken during the match. It didn't matter though, he was able to make out the blurry figure of the opposing boxer in front of him.

The match between Arthur and the second boxer lasted just as long as the first one, and, while Binky won to the utter disgust of the onlookers for his brutality, Arthur defeated his first rival and the crowd cheered and applauded him as he didn't attack with the force of a savage beast. The aardvark also managed to swiftly get back up on his feet if the moose was able to knock him to the floor. Arthur's boxing abilities and sheer knowledge of proper moves earned him a standing ovation; even the losing boxer gave him a small nod as he left the arena, a move which no one would believe had possibly happened.

The rest of the boxing tournament went on with Arthur and Binky receiving their distinct responses from the crowd after each boxing round. Their brawls with the last two boxers were similar in the time it took for them to defeat them, but both the aardvark and bulldog were successful in conquering their adversaries. When Binky sent his bear opponent stumbling to the ground, the people all around him objected his immoral use of strength and physical harm. When Arthur's opponent, a tall and semi-muscular cat, couldn't fight anymore, everyone's reaction was the complete opposite and carried on long after he had gone back to relax and await the final round.

Anybody watching the event who had a large amount of common sense would probably point out that it was entirely mediocre that one boxer would be acclaimed by all and the other would be taunted relentlessly. The notion of a certain player of any given sport getting all the attention was a topic that would be least debatable among all sport fans, but if such a thing was recognized in other sports, it would be at least talked about among small groups of fans.

What also made the fact that Arthur received the most acclaim by fans noticeable was the short summary Jeffrey gave to the audience before the tournament began. The rat stated that Arthur had defended himself against Binky when he assaulted him in the street, thus leaving a dark stain on Binky's reputation right before he entered the boxing ring. It should also be noted that the summary made no mention of a little sister who got punched by his older brother after she accidentally broke his model plane or the friends and family of the 8-year old boy who turned against him because he refused to say sorry to her. Arthur was not only relieved that nothing of the sort of mentioned, he was more confident than ever and ready for the final round.

The final round was the moment in the entire event everyone was waiting for. It was the fight every man and woman could not wait to see, whether they were at the arena or at home watching the tournament on TV. Arthur Read and Binky Barnes would go head to head in the ring and the last boxer standing would be named the Best Young Boxer in the State and walk home with one thousand dollars in his pocket.

As Sharkbite and Rattles got Arthur and Binky ready to fight each other, Wayne spoke into his headset to get the audience ready. "This is it, folks!" the monkey announced. "This is the moment that will truly rock the earth! A battle between the last two boxers in the competition! The final match that will determine who is strong and who is weak! A colossal fight between the barbaric ironclad Binky Barnes and the fearless combatant Arthur Read which will leave one kid with one thousand dollars and the other with a few cuts and bruises!"

Binky stared at Arthur as Rattles massaged his shoulders. "I can't believe I have to fight Arthur in front of all these people," he said to Rattles.

"Well, believe it or not, you still have to fight him," Rattles told Binky firmly. "You want to be a Tough Customer again, don't you?"

"Yeah," said Binky.

He was about to say something else but Rattles instantly stomped on his words. "Then you are going to beat Arthur! Understand?"

"Yes," Binky sighed.

From the opposite side, Arthur glared at Binky as Sharkbite rubbed his forehead. "So this is really how he's getting revenge on me?" he asked Sharkbite in a low, growling voice. "He thinks he can take me down after the police taught him a lesson?"

"Well, I can't read minds, Arthur," Sharkbite replied; "but I have to assume that's what he's planning to do. But remember this: you've had proper training. You know all too well how to can kick someone's ass. Show him that. Capiche?"

"Capiche," Arthur said with a nod.

The referee entered the ring, making it clear that the match was about to begin. Sharkbite and Rattles gave Arthur and Binky their mouth guards and the two boxers stepped forward. The referee leaned in and told the boys the rules of the final boxing match, which they were already familiar with; no hitting below the belt, only hit with the gloves, do not rabbit punch, and so on. After the boxers nodded to the referee, the last round officially commenced.

Arthur and Binky raised their gloved fists up and moved around the circle, awaiting for the first strike. Binky was clearly worried about hurting Arthur and getting booed out of the arena. Arthur took note of how scared his rival appeared and decided to use it against him.

Arthur started off by intimidating Binky with a few test jabs. The bulldog shied away from the aardvark each time before eventually gathering enough courage to throw a punch. Arthur blocked Binky's hit with his gloves and then threw his own blows at him. Binky staggered back as Arthur's fists struck him four times, much to the delight of the people watching from the bleachers. When the bulldog decided to stop acting like a coward and attacked his opponent, the aardvark saw it coming and fought back with jabs and various defense techniques.

Binky didn't know what to do anymore so he tried to force Arthur away from him, but it was difficult because of one particular rule that was put in play many others: you cannot push your opponent. Using as many punches as he knew and could do, the bulldog pathetically fought against the aardvark. At one point, when Binky made another crude attempt at punching Arthur in the face, Arthur did a counterpunch, successfully pounding Binky in the nose and causing him to collapse.

The referee ran over to Binky and started to count out loud. "One...two...three..."

The audience cheered for Arthur as if the round was over. "...four...five..."

"GET UP, BINKY!" an enraged Rattles shouted.

Fueled by the desire to be a member of the Tough Customer once again, Binky stumbled to his feet; all the while, dozens of people in the arena angrily urged him to fall back down. Once able to stand again, Binky noticed that there was a small stain of blood on his forearm. The blow from Arthur had damaged a tiny vein in his nose, allowing blood to course from his right nostril. Upon obtaining this knowledge, Binky stared furiously at Arthur before charging at him. He had quickly forgotten that Arthur was tougher than him and he didn't see the uppercut coming until Arthur's glove smashed into his nose again.

As the match rose in ferocity, everyone in the sport arena shouted with excitement every time Arthur punched Binky or prevented himself from getting hit by the enemy. Rattles looked on in amazement as the aardvark, who was shorter and lighter than the bulldog, displayed more confidence and skill than the past four boxers who had been defeated by the duo one at a time. Sharkbite watched his little student with immense satisfaction. It was this very event that highlighted Arthur's future career as a boxer. He couldn't be more happier than the first day of the aardvark's training, observing him day by day as he slowly became the perfect boxer- a young, intelligent, and vicious fighting machine. Now that he could see what all the work and toil had added up to, the rabbit could do nothing but grin.

Eventually, though, there came a moment in the round that nearly ended the tournament early. It was when Arthur was pounding Binky with all his might, and Binky was losing energy to fight back. Just as it seemed that the aardvark would conclude the match by pinning the bulldog on the floor, Binky managed to loosen Arthur's grip on him and he got back up. Arthur attempted to deliver another jab but Binky grabbed him by the armpits and harshly bashed his forehead into Arthur's. Upon letting him go, the crowd responded with a defeaning tumult and Arthur fell onto his knees.

The referee called Binky out for headbutting his competitor, which was deliberately against the rules, and Arthur carefully steadied himself to continue the fight. Binky's unexpected headbutt only stunned him for five seconds, and, once he fully recovered, the aardvark turned in the direction of the shamefaced bulldog. The rage within him was more powerful than it had ever been before. It was more stronger than when D.W. disobeyed him and destroyed his model plane. It was more sour than how emotionless his parents were when they reprimanded him for being a bully to his little sister. It was even more controlling than the three times he was viciously assaulted- first by Binky, then by D.W., and finally by his own father. All three violent fights had caused Arthur's hidden fury to jump to a higher level, and, because he was now near the end of the road to stardom, he finally allowed his concealed rage to possess him- to persuade him to do what Sharkbite ordered him to do to those who dared to challenge him: show them that he was a person not to be messed with and to be feared by enemies of all shapes and sizes.

Binky looked at Arthur as he slowly approached him. He gazed into his opponent's eyes and was convinced that the aardvark was being manipulated by a heartless, satanic entity based on his facial expression and physical movements. Because of the mouth guard, Binky was unable to talk to Arthur, to plead with him to stay back and stop the fight. Instead, the bulldog put his hands in front of him in an attempt to prevent him from getting hit. People in the crowd laughed loudly and taunted Binky for his cowardice; all of which turned to encouraging yells as Arthur snuck alongside him and then attacked with all the fury he had built up from the headbutt he received.

For the next thirty seconds, Arthur mercilessly punched Binky in the face again and again. Of course Binky would try to get Arthur to stop, but that was to no avail as the aardvark dodged and blocked the bulldog's throws every time. The entire arena watched in amazement as Binky was on the verge on defeat. It was made clear to everyone in the bleachers and the people watching at home that the match was about to end.

Binky finally fell onto his rear after Arthur gave him another jab to the cheek. As he covered his face in fear of yet another blow to the face, Binky prayed that Arthur wouldn't be so harsh with the final punch. Nothing happened. Binky hesitated for one brief moment before lowering his gloved hands. Arthur's fist smashed dead in his face and Binky's upper body slammed onto the floor of the boxing ring.

As the bulldog laid bruised and flat as a board, the referee ran up and again began to count. What was different this time was that the audience began to count along with the bear.

"One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight...nine...ten!"

The ovation from the entire crowd was overwhelming. The screams and cheers from everyone was at such a high volume that almost no one could hear Wayne say, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have found our newest, youngest boxer in the entire state! Walking home with that title and one thousand dollars in cash is the courageous, fearless, and powerful Arthur Read!"

There was another ear-splitting roar from the crowd as Arthur raised his fists straight into the air and strided in the center of the ring. Photographers snapped dozens of photos and Jeffrey entered the ring with a handheld microphone. "Congratulations, Arthur, you are the champion of the fifth annual Youth Boxing Tournament!" the rat said with pride. "You are going home tonight with one thousand dollars in cash! How do you feel?"

Jeffrey moved the microphone close to Arthur who replied, "I've never felt so alive in all my life! It's fantastic!"

Sharkbite appeared along his right side to congratulate Arthur. Jeffrey noticed the rabbit and asked, "To my understanding, you are Arthur's trainer?"

"I most certainly am," Sharkbite responded.

"Tell me, was it easy or hard to get this kid in shape; because Arthur definitely has the mind of a pro!" Jeffrey inquired.

"It wasn't hard at all," Sharkbite stated. "Arthur knew exactly what to do, when to do, and, you're not wrong at all, Arthur is a pro in every way possible!"

Arthur and Sharkbite shared a good laugh before exiting the arena with the audience still cheering for them. A few people on the other hand were laughing and mocking Binky as Rattles and two medical professionals escorted him away. Blood and tears cascaded down the bulldog's face as he was led backstage to clean him up and check if he was injured in any way.

After they collected the money and Arthur showered and changed into his second pair of clothes, the duo departed from the sport arena and began the journey home. It was three minutes after 9 PM, and while Arthur was exhausted, he was still exceedingly active as he and Sharkbite strolled through the parking lot, which was only in the beginning of being cleared out.

"This was the greatest day in my life, Sharkbite!" the aardvark exclaimed.

"I know," Sharkbite replied. "You kicked that bully's ass so hard he won't step ten feet towards you for as long as he lives!"

"That would be good for the rest of my ex-friends," said Arthur. "Of course, that won't happen once word spreads around school."

"Yeah, but let's hope that no one says this to their parents," Sharkbite told the aardvark; "because if they know, they'll freak out and call the cops."

"I'm sure that won't happen either," Arthur replied.

Sharkbite patted the side of his jacket where he kept the money. He asked, "You want to keep all the money or do you want to split it between us? Five hundred for you and five hundred for me?"

"Yeah, I'll take five hundred," Arthur responded. "It is fair, especially since you're the one who taught me all I needed to know about boxing."

"That's nice of you to say that," Sharkbite said. "You know, you're a really good kid apart from your viciousness in the ring. If only your parents could understand that."

As if on cue, a pair of headlights crept up behind them and a car horn startled Arthur and Sharkbite. "What the hell?!" Sharkbite yelled as he and Arthur turned to look behind them.

In the red station wagon behind the duo was Jane and David- Jane was at the steering wheel while David sat in the passenger seat. Jane instantly recognized the teenager who was with their son and her eyes grew twice their size. David shrunk back in his seat. He knew exactly who the rabbit was and what he and Arthur did to him days ago. He did not want to get out of the car and confront him, but, at the house, Jane insisted that they had to do whatever possible to get their eldest child in the car and back home safely.

Jane and David popped out of the car and stepped forward toward the boys. "Arthur, come here this minute!" Jane ordered her son.

Arthur didn't obey. He remained by Sharkbite's side and the look he gave his mother was completely emotionless.

This only infuriated Jane. "I said, come here!" she snarled.

Once more, Arthur refused to move and he showed no fear of future punishment.

Jane could no longer tolerate her son's behavior and marched straight toward him. Right before she could grab his arm and drag him back to the car, Arthur propped his arms out with his clenched fists pointing directly at his mother. Jane immediately stepped back in shock.

"Mom, I don't want to fight you," Arthur told his mother; "but I'll have to if you're going to put one up."

Jane was utterly appalled by her son's warning. Even when she was unable to regard the threat as either real or childish, she had to remember that she and David were the adults and that Arthur and Sharkbite were children. Jane boldly took a step forward and tried to escort Arthur to the car. She was met with Arthur's fist which struck her shoulder, causing her to stagger back. David made attempt to help his wife; he was too afraid of what could happen to him if he was to intervene.

"STOP!"

Sharkbite's voice made Arthur and Jane cease fighting. Arthur obeyed the rabbit as he always did, but Jane stopped when she saw that he right eye was extremely close to the tip of a switch blade that Sharkbite hid inside his jacket.

"Back off, lady!" Sharkbite barked, pointing the weapon close to Jane's cheek.

Horrified that she and her husband were truly being threatened, Jane was forced to comply and walked backwards with her hands up.

"Please don't hurt me!" Jane begged.

"Then keep yourself at a distance!" Sharkbite growled loudly.

Jane complied again and backed away further. David joined her side as it appeared they were now at a standoff between their son and Sharkbite.

"Let Arthur come home with us; please," David said with as much courage as he could summon.

"Not until you listen to what I have to say!" Sharkbite roared, holding the switch blade straight at him.

"We'll listen!" David and Jane cried in unison.

"I hope you do, because it'll save your life if you try and make a wrong move!" Sharkbite began. "You two think that you can tell Arthur how to live his life? You both honestly think that you can simply barge in on whatever Arthur's doing and disown him for the littlest things? You think that you can control Arthur like a puppet and make him do whatever you think he should do?! Do you?!"

David and Jane were scared by the presence of the switch blade and didn't know how to answer the rabbit.

"You're not going to answer me? Good, don't talk!" Sharkbite continued. "You both have done nothing to Arthur but villainize him. His friends have done just the same. Have either of you ever stopped to think about what you've done to him? Of course not, you're too busy protecting a spoiled, unsympathetic little bitch!

"Something like punching a little kid or anything else on this line is unacceptable, but, from what I've heard from Arthur, you didn't care about him or what everyone else would think! No; all you cared about was keeping Arthur in his place and nothing else! People say they don't know the type of parents who would do that, but I can proudly say 'I do', there's two of them right here in front of me!"

Sharkbite's words bombarded David and Jane. They understood what the rabbit was telling them, they just couldn't comprehend it. All the bitterness in Sharkbite's statement attacked the adult aardvarks with no mercy. David could hardly stand and Jane could feel tears prickling her eyes.

"You may have control of Arthur at your house," Sharkbite concluded; "but when he's with me, I give the orders, and he does what he's told without a question asked! That's something you should know when Arthur gets to be my age: once out on his own, all he needs is himself and only himself! No one should get in his way! And, based on the facts I was given, that shouldn't be too much of a problem!"

Sharkbite put the switch blade back in his jacket and, from a pocket on the front of his jacket, he withdrew five hundred dollars and handed it to Arthur. "Here's five hundred, just as you asked," said Sharkbite.

"Thanks," Arthur replied. "I'll see you later."

Sharkbite nodded and walked away, not without giving David and Jane a sharp glare to remind them of what he said.

Arthur climbed into the station wagon and buckled up. David and Jane switched seats and David drove out of the arena parking lot. On the drive home, Jane softly wept to herself. All that she and her husband wanted to do was help Arthur, to get him to understand what actions were right and which ones were wrong. She couldn't get over the fact that they had not seen any signs that something was not right with their son, and now, after what occurred in the parking lot, it was evident that they were too late.

David glanced up in the rear view mirror to glimpse at the 8-year old aardvark staring blankly ahead of him. There were a few noticeable bruises on his face but he didn't seem to care that they were there. With his eyes back on the road, David felt shame and self-hatred collide in his mind to create a new emotion. While he and Jane tried to work together to come up with a solution to communicate with their son, Arthur was a mile or so away training to become a boxer. No one had stop to ponder if something was going on with the aardvark, he was so quiet and normal that no one saw right through his facade. Even if he had caught his son acting a bit out of the ordinary, David would have still talked to Arthur about it, but that sadly didn't mean anything to him anymore.

David and Jane were completely convinced that they had allowed their beloved son, Arthur Read, to morph into a monster.


	13. Chapter 13

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I kinda made a small error in this story with Francine being an orangutan. She's actually a monkey. I apologize for that and the fact that I haven't updated this story for months. Hopefully I can keep working and finish this story soon so I can work on my other fanfics.

Elwood City awoke the next morning to a somber, cloudy sky. A rain storm was expected to pass by that evening and everyone was thankful that they wouldn't go outside during most of the day and immediately get soaked. Usually, the weather forecasted on the news would occur as the newscaster said it would, but occasionally there would be certain changes to the meteorological conditions predicted for the day, such as strong wind, a sudden rise or drop in temperature, or a quick thunderstorm. No one thought about the possibility of the weather altering slightly or majorly; the entire population was more focused on their own affairs, whether it was business related or based on their hobbies and passion for specific activities.

Bitzi was busy making breakfast for her and Buster. As she scrambled eggs in a pan over the hot stove, she glanced out the window and frowned at the sight of a gloomy day. If it was going to rain all day, the drive in and out of work would be difficult depending on the ferocity of the rainfall. It did say on the news that it would rain later in the day; she hoped that the newscaster's predictions were correct.

When the meal was ready to be served, Bitzi turned the stove off and called out to her son. "Buster, breakfast is ready!"

The door to Buster's room did not open. There weren't even sounds of Buster walking across his bedroom to reach the door. This worried Bitzi a little. Last night her son had stayed up until 8:30, not as late as he did periodically, so he would have been up and ready for school by now.

"Buster, did you hear me?" Bitzi softly called out. "I said breakfast is ready!"

This time she got a response from her son.

"I'm coming!" Buster called out to his mother.

The tone of her son's voice assured Bitzi that Buster was well enough to go to school; even so, she was still concerned about her son. She remembered what occurred the previous night. Buster was watching TV and she getting ready for bed. When she was about to slip into her bed, Bitzi heard her son gasp like a terrifying monster had appeared right in front of him. She hurried to the living room and asked her son what was wrong. Buster's response was: "I saw something scary while I was changing the channel."

Bitzi remembered returning to her bedroom thinking nothing else of it. She spent the next hour in bed reading a mystery novel called "Treachery and Betrayal". At 8:30 exactly, Bitzi heard the TV shut off, followed by Buster mumbling to himself as he passed her room to his bedroom. She couldn't make out any precise words but it was clear that he was profoundly bemused about someone based on the only word she could make out: he.

Buster entered the kitchen in his usual attire- a turquoise long-sleeve shirt with a light red collar and dark blue jeans. It was easy for Bitzi to notice the dark circles under her son's eyes, an evident sign that the young rabbit had difficulty getting to sleep. Bitzi guessed that Buster had indeed saw something on TV that terrified him immensely, and that was surely the cause of his sleep deprivation.

Even when she believed she knew why her son had been startled the night before, Bitzi had reason to doubt her theory. For the past two weeks, Buster had been significantly distraught about something that happened at school. He wouldn't say what was troubling him and that was enough to frighten Bitzi. She had always been anxious about her son's well-being after she and her husband got divorced. The fears of what could happen to Buster- whether it be minor like a temporary sickness or major like a horrible injury -had always plagued Bitzi since the dissolution of her marriage with Bo, a rabbit who was too dedicated to his career as a pilot to spend time with his wife and son.

Whatever situation Buster kept concealed from her was undoubtedly critical from the start. Everyday after school, the young rabbit would come home and quietly talk to himself in his room, a clear sign that the dilemma occurring at school was progressively getting worse. Bitzi felt compunction as she slid one half of scrambled eggs on each plate with a slice of toast. The sensation was strong but not vehement enough to call herself a failure of a parent. She had attempted numerous times to get Buster to reveal to her what was upsetting him or, at least, to provide her with a couple details about his problem at school. No matter how hard she tried to persuade her son to talk about what was troubling him, he would refuse or hastily change the subject.

Bitzi was getting impatient with the repeated turndowns, but she was in no position to give up. As a mother, it was her job to guide her son on his journey to a bright future; a journey that went through separate phases, beginning with basic education and ending with career decisions. Like an action-filled adventure in a book or movie, obstacles would pop up during this journey, such as financial issues or any type of dilemma that could cause a rift in a relationship, either with friends, family, or future co-workers. That was the situation Buster was facing and he did not want to speak about for reasons both children and adults can understand and relate to. Bitzi guessed that he tried to solve the problem on his own, and, to prevent any major concern, kept the issue to himself, not speaking a word of it to her.

Now that it was patently clear that the situation had dramatically deteriorated and he had entered a quandary, the young rabbit would surely be able to tell his mom everything she needed to know. Bitzi hoped that it was true so she could give her son proper assistance. Although it would finally get rid of her anxiety, Bitzi reminded herself that, in order to obtain the information she needed, she had to be calm and understanding. If she immediately interrogated Buster, he would undoubtedly become perturbed; as a result, he would refuse to talk and retreat to his room.

Bitzi pondered what to ask Buster first as they ate breakfast. At intervals, she would glance at her despondent son, hesitating when and how to start the conversation. It was going to be tough in spite of her belief that he was ready to talk. As long as she could make Buster relaxed and gain her trust, everything would go smoothly.

Bitzi finished her breakfast first and took her dishes to the sink. Buster wasn't even halfway done was his plate of scrambled eggs. As soon as she returned to the table, Bitzi finally spoke to her miserable son. "Buster?"

"Yeah, mom?" Buster asked in a dejected voice.

"Can I ask you something?" Bitzi inquired as she sat in the chair nearest to her son.

"What it is?" Buster asked; he had lifted his head but his eyes were still downcast.

"Buster, I want to know what's bothering you," Bitzi said, placing a hand on her son's shoulder. "You've never acted like this before, it's scaring me. I know something is wrong but I didn't want to make you uncomfortable talking about it; you know?"

Buster sighed and replied, "I do."

"So," Bitzi asked; "are you okay if we talk about it?"

Buster stayed quiet for a few seconds. His eyes still looked down at his half-eaten food as he sighed and replied with: "I don't know."

"I understand that you're going through a lot of emotional distress," Bitzi said; "but not saying anything isn't going to do any good. No matter what it is that's bothering you, you have to tell me so I can help you solve the problem. You don't have to tell me everything now if it makes you feel uneasy. Just give me some hints if you can."

There was yet another period of silence. Bitzi prayed that her son would at least provide her with a couple bits of information, such as the names of other children if it was a serious but common case of bullying.

Her prayers were answered when Buster said, "It's a friend of mine. He's been acting all wrong."

"Okay," Bitzi responded. "What has he been doing that's all wrong?"

"He hasn't been speaking to us; as a matter of fact, he just ignores everybody," Buster stated.

Bitzi nodded her head, signaling to her son that she was listening.

"I've tried again and again to get him to say something," Buster continued; "but he doesn't. He doesn't even look at me; he just stands there with his head looking the other way."

"I remember you once went to the park to talk to some friends. Were you talking to them about the issue?"

"Yes. We're all worried sick about him. We've tried everything but nothing's working."

"How long has this been going on?"

Buster fell silent. He didn't want to explain the whole ordeal to his mother. He was afraid that once she knew everything, the fate of Arthur Read would be deplorably dreadful. Even if he did tell his mother, that wouldn't really matter- the scene of Arthur fighting an older, tougher kid in a boxing ring was undoubtedly seen by both the people in the bleachers and the people watching the tournament on TV. Odds are someone who knew Arthur or his family would have called the police the instant they saw the 8-year old engaging in a physical brawl with another person.

Buster wasn't sure if Arthur was being questioned by the authorities at the moment, but he felt extreme remorse for failing his objective. The potency of the guilt overpowered him and tears formed in his eyes.

Bitzi spotted the tears and asked her son: "Honey, what's the matter?"

"I failed him!" Buster wept. "I wanted to help him the whole time, but everyone kept me away from him! They call him a monster, they said he had no remorse, they shunned him!"

Bitzi hugged her hysterical son. "Calm down, honey," she said, trying to soothe his emotions. "I'll still listen. I'll help you. I promise."

Buster suddenly broke away from his mother with intense force. "No; I can't still and talk!" he cried. "I have to go find him!"

Buster rushed out of the kitchen to his room. He grabbed his backpack and dashed to the door. Bitzi intervened before he could reach for the doorknob. "Buster, stop!" she demanded with anger and concern combined. "Calm down, please!"

The rabbit continued to struggle for one perhaps two minutes before he finally ceased. Exhausted and baffled by her son's behavior, Bitzi escorted Buster to his room, placed the backpack on the floor, and instructed him to lay down. "I'm sorry, Buster, but I think it's best if you stay home today," she informed him.

"But, mom," Buster began; "I have to-"

"Buster, you're not going anywhere!" Bitzi snapped.

Knowing how distressed her son was, Bitzi sighed and, in a softer tone, said, "I know that you want to make everything alright again with you and your friends, but it's not good when you're too worked up over it. I'm still going to help you fix this problem. I'll miss a day at work so we can talk."

"Mom, you can't," Buster objected, referring to her job.

"I think your problem is more important than a day in the office," Bitzi said. "You stay in bed. I'm going to call my work and tell them I can't make it. I'll be back when you're ready to continue our discussion; okay?"

Buster emitted a loud moan before replying with: "Fine."

Bitzi closed the bedroom door so he could cool down in privacy. While she made her phone call, Buster laid flat on his bed, reflecting all the events from his perspective. Over the course of two weeks, Arthur Read, deprived of friendship and inflicted with numerous negative comments, slowly sunk into madness and allowed it to consume him with the use of boxing lessons. Buster was concerned about his friend's mentality and he made a bold attempt to rally up his peers to change their ways so Arthur could change his. After seeing the aardvark beating the living hell out of a cat in front of a cheering crowd, right on live TV, the hopes that his friend could be saved were lost instantaneously; and now that his mother insisted that they would spend time at home to discuss the issue, he wouldn't be able to make contact with his friends until the next day.

Buster stared up at the ceiling, noiselessly cursing himself for not taking the proper steps to help Arthur see the error in his ways and provide him suggestions on how to amend his relationship with friends and family. The boxing event explained what Arthur had been up to after school, and, although he didn't watch the tournament in its entirety, Buster believed that the aardvark had succeeded in defeating his opponents and would now act brutish and callous if someone would attempt to communicate with him. He was at the opinion that if he hadn't told everyone about the incident with the model airplane, if he had instead tried to reason with the aardvark the instant he heard the story, the world wouldn't have lost the amicable, good-natured Arthur Read.

Buster was not the only child who sensed acute repentance that morning, nor was he the only ex-friend of Arthur to have seen him boxing on TV. No; he was one of three.

A conscience-stricken Francine sat quietly as her mother drove her to school. As houses and stores passed by, the monkey contemplated every bad thing she had done to both Arthur and Buster. She couldn't believe how much of a terrible person she was. She was imprudent and injudicious to label Arthur as a rogue and just as unwise to interfere with Buster's attempts to communicate with the aardvark. When word of his offense first broke out, Francine was so outraged that she did not perceive the adverse effect debarring Arthur from every friendship he had would have on everyone involved in the incautious act, including herself. After seeing him batter Binky Barnes until his face was appallingly bloody, self-condemnation hit her with the force of a charging bull, and the guilt impaled her heart like a sword.

Laverne Frensky didn't notice her daughter's despondency during the drive to school. Her eyes were locked on the road and her mind was fixated on the day ahead of her, mostly her job and the family affairs that would follow. She knew nothing of Arthur, the incident with his sister, or the boxing tournament. Like Buster, Francine said nothing about her tainted friend. Though she was extremely distressed over the sinful turn of events, she did not want to send the adults into a panic. But because the tournament had been broadcasted on TV and was surely viewed by parents all over the country, it would only be a matter of time before every parent in Elwood City knew what became of Arthur Read. Only God knew what was to truly transpire next.

After getting out of the car and her mother wishing her a good day, Francine dawdled up the front steps of the school. As she went through the open doors, the monkey wondered who she would meet first that morning and if that person had seen Arthur in the tournament. If it was Muffy, they would most likely spend the entire day chatting about the aardvark's horrific boxing debut. If it was the Brain, chances were good that he would help her devise a plan to persuade Arthur to quit the sport. If it was Buster, Francine had no doubt that he would be so overwhelmed with emotions that there was no telling what his first words or actions might be.

Francine sighed. Hopefully Buster will be able to calm down easily, she thought. I didn't mean for this to happen.

She eventually spotted the Brain walking in her direction. They made their way to a clear spot in the hallway so they could talk privately.

"Francine, have you seen what I've seen?" the Brain asked. "Have you seen the Youth Boxing Tournament on TV last night?"

"Yes," Francine responded. "I only saw the last round, but...I just can't believe Arthur literally beated Binky to a pulp!"

"Neither can I," said the Brain. "It's totally incredible that Arthur could exert a great amount of strength and fury to perpetrate such a heinous assault; not to mention to do so in front of so many people and while TV cameras are rolling."

Francine nodded.

"What truly baffles me is how Arthur managed to get into the boxing ring," the Brain continued. "There is no possible way a person his age could achieve the right to participate in a live sport competition. He would've been denied before he'd gotten in line."

"Well, there's no doubt at all that Arthur was training after school," Francine said.

"I'm fully aware of that," the Brain replied. "The thing is, there are no flaws in my suspicion that Arthur's trainer is behind all this."

"You know who's been training Arthur?" Francine inquired.

"Technically, no; however I have critical information on who the individual is."

"Well, go on, I'm listening."

"Yesterday, my parents and I were downtown doing some shopping. While I waited for my parents to finish one of their errands, I met two young adults who were talking about Arthur. I established my identity to them and they reluctantly told me their story."

"And?"

"Arthur's boxing instructor goes by the nickname of Sharkbite. He's nineteen-years old and a familiar character to the 'Steel Muscles' boxing gym. The men have known Sharkbite as long as their membership, their relationship with him was tense at times but fairly good. When Arthur was brought in, they first reacted with jokes and mockery. When Sharkbite had Arthur signed up for the tournament, their moods changed. They began to worry about Arthur and started openingly voicing their aversion of the decision."

"I'm glad someone tried to knock some sense into him," said Francine.

"Yes, but sadly it proved fruitless as Sharkbite repetitively told Arthur that we were all against him," the Brain continued. "It got to the point that he actually had one of the men go against Arthur in a practice match. The man who did lost was results similar to the match with Binky, minus the blood."

"Dear God," Francine said in a quiet voice. Then she asked in a louder tone: "Is there anything we can do? I know that we can try to talk to him, but is there another way to get our Arthur back?"

The Brain pondered briefly before replying with, "As of now, the most effective situation is to talk directly to Arthur. I can't really imagine an alternative to it. Did you have something in mind?"

Francine shook her head.

"Well, if you do come up with something, let me know first," said the Brain. "We all want to have the old Arthur back, but it's not like he's going to keep boxing for the rest of his life. That's entirely irrational."

"You're right," Francine responded; "but suppose this Sharkbite manages to keep Arthur believing that we're all his enemy. He'll never be the same person again!"

What Francine said was true. Even if they did force Arthur to give up boxing, the aardvark would still hold the belief that everyone he was once a friend to regarded him as a psychopath. He wouldn't just shun them out as they did with him; no, he would be more bellicose than he had ever been to anyone, making warlike threats to random people, accuse them of saying something that angered him, and even throw punches at them if they were bold enough (or foolish enough) to confront him about his wild behavior. This would eventually lead to Arthur's expulsion from school, giving him all the time he wanted to pursue a boxing career, with the obvious cost of his chances of finding a job to support himself being instantly crippled.

Francine and the Brain envisioned Arthur as a savage outcast, feared by all. In their vision, the once lovable aardvark appeared muscular, menacing, even taller than before. Throughout their delusion, they saw their friends beaten and scared and their movements were slow and patently agonizing. Binky Barnes, scarred and black-eyed, cowered as Arthur passed him. Muffy, hair frazzled and one tooth missing, was shoved into the lockers when she pleaded him not to hurt her. Buster was the worst of the three; his right leg was in a cast and he supported himself with a crutch under his left arm, for his right arm was also in a cast. The rabbit sobbed as Arthur approached him. He proceeded to cruelly slap Buster while growling, "Shut the hell up! You're just like D.W.! A whiny, empty-headed bitch!"

When the monkey and bear ended their envisionment, Francine sniffled and said in a sorrowful voice: "We've turned our best friend into a monster. We're the worst people alive."

Francine quietly wept as the Brain placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not over yet," he told her, his voice held the tones of consolation and confidence. "We still have a chance to pull Arthur out of the hell he was thrown in to. We have the perpetrator and we have the story; but first, we need to find Buster."

The bell rang for first period and the hallways began to clear out. Francine pulled herself together and she and the Brain made their way to Mr. Ratburn's class. On the way there, they were greeted by Muffy and Fern. The two girls noticed Francine's dejection and inquired her about it. She didn't reply, even after they continued to ask what was wrong. They asked the Brain and he said "Francine and I have a little problem on our hands. It's nothing you two should be all worried about."

The group soon arrived at Mr. Ratburn's class and took their seats. Francine and the Brain glanced around the classroom. They could see that only three desks were not occupied. Binky and Buster not being present wasn't that much of a shock under the circumstances surrounding those two- Buster often sleeping in and being late to school, and Binky's condition in the aftermath of the tournament-, but the absence of Arthur was very baffling. He hardly had a scratch on him. Surely he would be well enough to attend school.

The three absences prompted Francine to raise her hand and inquire, "Mr. Ratburn, are Buster, Binky, and Arthur coming to school today?"

"No," Mr. Ratburn stated. "I'm afraid they're all sick and cannot come to school today. It's quite odd since there isn't a sickness going around, but their mothers had called in for them so we'll leave it at that. If there is something we must all be concerned about, it's how many of you did on your pop quiz last Thursday."

Many students in the class groaned as their teacher handed back their quizes, marked with big red Bs and Cs.

Francine and the Brain didn't pay much attention that period. They were both profoundly upset. With Buster not around, they wouldn't be able to concoct a suitable strategy they could all agree on; and now that Binky had been horrendously injured by Arthur on live TV, there was no doubt at all that the worst was yet to come, and Francine feared that she would have a share of the consequences for her role of a major oppressor.

However, during Mr. Ratburn's lecture, both Francine and the Brain asked themselves the same questions. Was Arthur really sick? Was he really home in bed? Was he using his excuse to join Sharkbite in more boxing lessons? And, the most important question of all, would they ever get Arthur to become the same person he once was? With Arthur and Buster out of school, their questions remained unanswered.


	14. Chapter 14

Jane stood before her son's bedroom door, intensely apprehensive of what she was about to do. The event that occurred the night before was only a fraction of her fear's origin. What truly scared her, and also filled her with dread, was that a character twice Arthur's age subjected her own son to boxing training, which resulted in him becoming fierce, mean-spirited, and possibly sadistic. Earlier she considered confronting him if he attempted to leave the house. If she did though, would Arthur attack her? She wished David would've skipped work to aid her, but his latest client offered him a great amount of money to provide catering for their office party. Jane had to deal with Arthur herself.

In spite of the risk of a physical attack, the aardvark sensed a pinch of confidence that things would not be as bad as she theorized. The night before, her son did not display any signs of foreboding when she and David confronted him and his instructor. He had the same reaction when his instructor threatened them with a switch blade. Yet that morning, when she passed his bedroom door, Jane was sure that she heard Arthur murmuring to himself; not only that, but it sounded like he was whimpering as well. Was Arthur actually repenting? Based on the facts she and David had, it was an irrational presumption. But his sobs were undeniably genuine. The only way to know for sure was to enter her son's room, a controversial mission that had to be completed.

Jane urged herself to relax and drain all the anxiety out of her system. In order to succeed, she had to be perfectly composed, an emotion that would greatly express her comprehension abilities which would help lower the risk of a fight with Arthur. A fight, verbal or physical, would be least likely if the young aardvark truly regretted every bad thing he had done since the model plane incident. Plus she had all the time in the world to talk to her son. After all, when he didn't come down for breakfast, she called the school saying he was ill. All she had to do now was go into Arthur's room, gather all the information from him regarding his instructor and his boxing training, report everything to the police, and schedule an appointment with a child psychologist. With great tranquility and proper wisdom, her goal would be achieved and the gradual return to normality would commence.

Taking another deep breath, Jane molded her right hand into a fist, raised it to the door, and after a silent prayer, knocked three times.

The only reply she got was silence.

Jane took a big chance and slowly opened the door. "Arthur?" she said. "Arthur, is it alright if I come in?"

Again, no response.

She feared that Arthur had jumped out the window and ran off. The assumption was immediately debunked when she saw her son curled up in the heart of his bed. He stayed in this position as his mother cautiously strolled to the bed and sat down next to him.

"Arthur," Jane said, shaking her son's shoulder. "Arthur, say something, please. I want to help you."

Those words finally provoked a response from Arthur. He lifted his head to gaze at his mother. "I'm sure you do," he murmured in a hoarse voice.

"I'm serious, honey," Jane said calmly. "Your father and I are worried to death about you. We've always been worried since the fight with Binky. When your punishment was over, we wanted to talk to you in exchange for letting you watch TV again."

"I knew you would," Arthur mumbled.

"What?" Jane asked growing a little fearful.

"Forget it," said Arthur. "I should've listened. I would've been able to stop myself."

It sounded like Arthur was holding back tears by the tone of his voice. He was regretting his actions; but how did it happen in the space of one night? That's what Jane was determined to find out.

"Arthur, what are you saying?" Jane inquired.

"I said forget it!" Arthur cried, throwing the blanket over his head.

"There's no way I'm not!" Jane stated as she grabbed the blanket and threw it aside.

Regret hit her with the speed of a racecar and the force of a pouncing tiger. Arthur was sure to begin an attack on her now. Once he became too aggravated, she deduced, he would start threatening her verbally; then, if things were to escalate between them, those threats would become physical.

Jane was wrong however. Her son remained motionless, seemingly unaware that his mother tore the blanket off on him. His reaction contributed to the belief that the 8-year old was in fact ruing all the violent things he had done to his friends and family. The only question which was yet to be answered was, how did his view of things change so quickly?

There was no time to reflect, at least that's what Jane thought. Her desire to know the full story of her son's unholy beliefs gnawed at her, demanded her to stay in the room until she got what she needed- the reason why he decided to become a boxer, and the identity of his boxing instructor.

After silence rained for what felt like a half-hour, Jane got the courage to continue her inquiry. "Arthur, I don't mean to upset you in any way," she said. "I'm still horrified over what happened last night, and so is your father. We didn't think the situation with you and your sister would intensify like this. After your father told me you and your instructor attacked him, I was angry. After your instructor threatened to kill me, I became- and still am -afraid for my life.

"But that's not the point why I'm here. I need to know why things had to be this way. What made you want to take boxing lessons? Was the young man with the switch blade your instructor? And why, after spending maybe three weeks with him, are you starting to reconsider it all? Please, Arthur, I need to know; I need to help you."

Arthur laid on his bed, unspeaking and unmoving. Judging from his facial expression, one could tell he was deliberating whether or not to speak and how much it agitated him. His mother was purely and immensely distraught regarding his conduct at home after his subjection to boxing, yet it puzzled him that she and his father didn't attempt to bring him to a psychologist or, at the very least, follow him and Sharkbite to the boxing gym- the opportunity to do either must have appeared once or twice; the reason why neither parent took it was a mystery. The boy still felt rueful and, after a minute of careful thinking, decided to explain why he was exceedingly sad and not hostile.

Arthur did not sit up or change position when he spoke. Jane didn't mind; as long as her son was communicating, she was fine with it.

"Last night, I felt like the greatest kid alive," the young aardvark began. "I spend hours after school training for the tournament and the whole thing was the best thing to happen to me. Everyone cheered for me and I won a thousand dollars- well, actually I won five hundred since I gave Sharkbite the same amount, but it didn't bother me.

"Everything seemed to be in its place even after you and Dad showed up. I didn't care when he pointed that switch blade at you; I thought he was protecting me so I can continue pursuing a boxing career. Then I thought things over and I realized what I had done."

"When did you think it over?" Jane inquired.

"Last night after a terrible dream I had," Arthur responded. "It was a glimpse into the future- at least what I thought it would be. I was rich, loved the world over, and had a collection of championship belts along the wall. I was living the good life until I heard the doorbell rang. At first, I thought it was someone playing ding-dong ditch. Then, one by one, my old friends came in, limping and crying; their faces were bruised and bloody. They said I had beaten them up but I had no memory of it.

"The last thing I remember before I woke up was running outside to escape them. I turned around and found you, Dad, D.W., and Kate lying on the ground, looking just as bruised as my friends were. I tried to wake you up but you didn't. Sharkbite appeared beside me and told me everyone in my life deserved to die."

Needless to say, Jane was beyond disturbed at her son's description of his dream. It injected her with more distress than any other egregious event in all her life. She feared not only for her son's grim future but her family's safety. Her instincts told her to phone the police. But if Arthur's instructor were to learn of this in any way possible, he would surely stalk and then attack them like a lion hunting a herd of gazelle.

As her trepidation swelled, Jane asked her son: "Is this Sharkbite the one who got you involved in boxing?"

"Yes," Arthur replied. "I remember you met him once long before the tournament."

"You're right," said Jane. "It was the day you got into that fight. How did you two meet exactly?"

Arthur finally sat up before recalling his first encounter with Sharkbite.

"After I got away from Binky," he said; "I stopped to catch my breath. Sharkbite got my attention when he remarked on how good my fighting skills were. We started talking and I told him about D.W. and what she did, and how everyone hated me now. I thought he was gonna disown me like everyone else, but he said I did the right thing. Next thing I knew, I was at the boxing gym learning how to be a better fighter."

By now the three main questions Jane had for her son had been answered to a good extent. Arthur was sure to know the name of the boxing gym he was brought to and at least one of the members knew of this Sharkbite character, so the matter would be put to an end in no time. Even so, three new questions emerged. Had anyone ever noticed Arthur's presence and wondered why he was there? If so, was it never brought up to the management? And if that was true, what was the reason for such negligence?

"Arthur, was there anyone else at the boxing gym besides you and Sharkbite?" Jane questioned.

"Yeah, there were two older guys named Austin and Kyle," Arthur stated. "They were bullies to us, but mostly to Sharkbite. It started with them making fun of me for being at a boxing gym; then, after Sharkbite insisted me to sign up for the boxing tournament, they told me I was making a big mistake and demanded us to end my training. The guy running the place (his name is Derek) said the same thing. Instead of listening to them, we made a bet with Derek that if I won the tournament, no one was to say a word to anyone."

Once more, Jane's questions had been settled with fair-minded answers that staggered her. It was tremendously astounding to know that three people were aware of what her son was going through, and that none of them contacted the authorities beforehand. Jane guessed that Sharkbite must've had some level of control in the gym despite his age and idiosyncrasy. It was unrealistic, but she couldn't think of any other explanation for the negligence.

Jane sighed. "It's clear to me how this all happened and why it did. But tell me the truth, Arthur; did you stop to think about what you were doing, at least once?"

"When Sharkbite told me about the tournament, I was a little scared," said Arthur. "Then I remembered how everyone treated me like crap, so I gave in."

"You know, if you ever feel angry, you have me and your father to talk to."

"You really think I would want to talk to you after hurting my feelings?"

Arthur's retort stupefied his mother. Jane did not expect such a thing to come out of her son's mouth, and upon coming out of her daze, she tried to reason with her son. "Arthur, it's okay if you feel angry or sad or afraid, but that doesn't mean-"

"It doesn't mean what, Mom?!" Arthur barked. "D.W. disobeyed me when I told her not to go near my model plane! I get it now that I shouldn't have hit her, but that doesn't mean you should let her off the hook!"

"Arthur..." Jane uttered as she quivered.

The 8-year old aardvark backed away from his mother to give each other some space. He became conscious of the fact that he was letting rage control him, allowing it to make all the decisions for him. What was worse was the only profit he would gain: unleashing all the fury from his soul. Thankfully, the notion of releasing it upon the very person who gave him life and was trying to give him aid compelled him to resist the temptation.

Arthur still couldn't contain all his anger. He heaved a deep sigh and said, "I don't mean to make you cry, but I still can't get over it. You can say what you want about D.W. but it won't erase the fact that her so-called curiosity brought us to where we are. You and Dad just let her off easy; you didn't even scold her. Say what you will but I'll never accept it as rightful justice, and nothing you can say or do will change my mind."

For the duration of the subsequent period of silence, Arthur kept himself at a distance from his mother; he was hunched over and his eyes were fixed to his mattress. Jane was hunched over as well, but unlike her son, the assertion he made about his sister mortified her. Pangs of conscience thwacked her from the base of her spine up to her brain. Everything her son told her was true. Pardoning D.W. of her wrongdoing was more than favoring one child over another. Jane was aware that it was her and David's job to teach their children right from wrong and a punishment like a time-out or restriction from a specific activity was to help them understand that immoral behavior is not tolerated in the world. By reprieving discipline from her second youngest, D.W. would accept the belief that she could commit any misdeed she set her mind to and evade the consequences, including arrest and prosecution.

Contrition coursed through Jane's body and tears dripped from her eyes. She made sure that Arthur didn't know she was crying; she didn't want him to think he was winning the argument and that she deserved to be miserable. As the only parent in the house at the moment, Jane had to keep herself completely composed to fully gain her son's trust. Even after he said he regretted hitting D.W. and trusting Sharkbite as a friend, it was uncertain if Arthur still saw her and David as oppressors. Because of how far they had gotten in their inquiry, Jane was determined not to leave the room until her son agreed to accept the help of a professional.

After another minute of stillness, Jane finally spoke to her son. "You're right that we should have punished D.W.," she said quietly; "and we should've talked to her when she was touching your model. I'm glad to know you're sorry for what you've done, but don't think I'm still against you."

Arthur lifted his head up to look at his mother with a stern expression. "The next time D.W. does something wrong, whether to me or someone else, you promise that you'll call her out, so she doesn't do it again?" he asked.

"Of course Arthur; it's my job to make sure you and D.W. stay out of trouble," Jane responded. "And I think it's best if you weren't anywhere near that boxing gym or Sharkbite."

"I beat up Dad and Binky on his orders," Arthur stated. "He made me his pet. Why would I continue to obey him?"

Jane gazed at her son in surprise. Said emotion started to morph into delight as she comprehended the sincerity in Arthur's statement. "You'll agree to give up boxing? And to tell everything to the police?" she inquired.

"I will, Mom," Arthur said, crawling over to his mother and sitting beside her. "Consider it the first of a hundred amends I have to make."

"I'm sure all your friends will understand how you felt for the past three weeks," Jane told him. "Believe me; they had no right to rule you as a monster just because you lost control of your anger."

"Really?" Arthur asked.

"Absolutely," Jane replied.

The next thing Jane knew, Arthur had wrapped his arms around her body and drew him close to her. With a warm smile and a tear running down her cheek, Jane returned the hug. Even Pal got in on the heartwarming embrace. It was cute, and brought a sense of hope that all would return to normal in a matter of days. Jane speculated that David and D.W. would be the first to forgive Arthur when they came home from work and preschool. All of Arthur's friends would follow soon after, and then the normal lives everyone had before the repulsive events would resume in the end.

After leaving Arthur in his room to get a little rest, Jane headed downstairs and into the den where her computer was. The next phase in her mission was to obtain the number of the police department and search for psychologists in the area. The phone book was in one of the kitchen cabinets so she had another source of information in place of the Internet. If neither provided any information, she would call her son's pediatrician and ask for recommended child psychologists. And while she did her research, Jane felt greatly delighted by Arthur's willingness to answer the questions she gave him and supply her with the information needed to end the nightmare at last. For her, life was soon to be normal again.

Outside, the clouds had grown in size and were now a dark shade of gray, indicating a heavy rainstorm was about to occur. Jane wasn't too concerned about the weather; she knew that it was going to happen sometime that day. The weatherman said it wouldn't rain until later but, since the elements themselves were usually tough to predict, there was no real point in saying exactly when it was going to rain.

We'll need a couple umbrellas when we go to the police, Jane thought. That shouldn't be too much trouble unless it's going to be windy.

Jane heard footsteps in another room and guessed that Arthur had gone into the kitchen to grab something to eat. He hadn't come down for breakfast she remembered, so it wasn't much of a surprise- if anything, it was comforting to know that her son was up and about; the thought itself told the mother aardvark her son was ready to go to the police with her to share his side of the story.

At first, Jane thought the next noise she heard was thunder in the distance. It took no less than a second for her to recognize the slam of a car door. Was it David? Had he returned home because he forgot something? There was another slam similar to the first so that assumption was quickly proved false. If it wasn't David, who was it?

Jane got up from her chair and headed for the door. The instant she stepped towards the door, she stumbled back as three loud knocks resonated throughout the open corridor. Taking a couple deep breaths to calm down, Jane strolled to the front door and opened it, and was immediately greeted by a duo of solemn police officers.

"Are you Jane Read?" one officer, a young, deep-voiced rabbit, asked.

"I am," Jane replied; it was clear by her voice that she was a little uneasy.

"We'd like to talk to you about your son, Arthur," the other officer, a middle-aged cat, said. "May we come in?"

"Yes, of course," Jane responded, stepping aside so the two men could enter.

Once they were inside and Jane had closed the door, the rabbit officer told the aardvark the reason for their arrival.

"We have received several phones calls from parents regarding your son," he explained. "They were mostly from mothers who claim Arthur was involved in the boxing tournament that was held last night. Are you aware of this?"

"I do know about this," Jane stated. "Arthur told me everything and I was going to take him to the station to give a statement."

While she told the duo about the conversation she had that morning, Jane swore she heard the cat officer whisper to the rabbit officer: "Do you think this is the mother of the missing girl?"

"I beg your pardon?" Jane asked abruptly.

"Oh, my partner thought you knew something about a missing child's case," the rabbit officer replied. "A little girl was led away from preschool by an older individual. Don't worry, we have officers looking into this. In the meantime, we like to speak to your son. Is he here at the moment, or is he at school?"

Jane swallowed her sense of panic and said, "No, he's here. I'll go get him."

She strolled to the kitchen where she presumed Arthur was having some cereal. He wasn't there. Panic returned as Jane noticed the door to the garage was ajar. She rushed to the door and pushed it open. Even in the dim light, it was patently clear to notice Arthur's bicycle and helmet were gone.

Jane's heart pounded against her chest and she cupped a hand over her mouth, smothering her screams. The two officers ran over and asked her what was wrong. Her only reply was: "He's gone!"


End file.
